The Nessie Ventures, Book 1: The Witch Apprentice
by Jumpingjoy22
Summary: Renesmee lives the supernatural life with her family, but one visit with her Aunt Christa, Bella's sister, changes that. A new world of wonder is revealed to Nessie and more supernatural creatures are found. Can Nessie guard something big from her family?
1. How it Began

**Chapter 1: How it started**

"I'll be fine," I groaned for at least the nineteenth time.

"We don't know that! You could get hurt," Screeched my Aunt Rosalie.

"You're totally right Aunt Rosie," I said using the nickname I had given her long ago, "The minute I walk out of this house the entire word will start shooting lasers at me. Oh how could I forget the possibility of that?"

It was cute when I was young, when Aunt Rosie was protective of me, when she would have half the family guard me in the backyard while I made snow angels or jumped into leaf piles. But now that I'm twelve (physically speaking and maybe even closer to thirteen) I should be allowed to visit a family member without someone gawking at me the whole time.

"Please, no fighting. It's okay, Rose, I said it would be all right for her to go to Christa's house alone," My mom stepped in and said. My mom was probably getting tired of Aunt Rosalie's protectiveness as mush as I was.

"How do you know?" Rosalie questioned.

"Well, One. She's not going very far, Two. There aren't any people trying to kill us at the moment, and Three. My sister, Christa, is a very reliable person."

Rosalie huffed and then said, "Then what's the big deal? One of us can go with her. Maybe you or me or Edward or maybe even Jacob!"

"She doesn't need us there, Rosalie. We can't keep sheltering everywhere she goes and I don't want Renesmee to feel trapped in our family," Bella explained. Rosalie gave _humph _sound and sauntered out of the room.

"Sorry, Renesmee. You know how your Aunt Rose gets and you know she worries about you the most. A little bit too much I think. Maybe if she knew my sister better then we could have avoided this situation."

"It's at least nice that Rosie still cares about me, even though I'm not a baby anymore," I said.

"True," My mom said with a little smile, "Come on, I'll take you over to Christa's house now."

My mother and I left the house and got into my dad's Volvo. I would've asked my mom if I could drive (despite that I'm physically twelve) but I didn't want to make my mom nervous (I'm really five years old, but I learned to drive when I was two years old. My Uncle Emmett taught me without my parents knowing. He had to push the gas and break petal for me though since I was so small).

It took us about five minutes to get to Christa's house with my mom speeding the whole way and making my heart sink to my stomach. Christa was my mom's older sister. When my mom was nine and Christa was twelve, Christa had been put into a mental facility because she was accused of being insane and was thought to have an extreme case of pyromania and had committed arson.

Though of course everyone knew this was ludicrous and thought there wasn't enough evidence to prove that Christa did such things. Yet the town was going through strange things at the time and I guess a rambunctious, naïve pre-teen was the closest thing they had to a scapegoat. The downside was that Christa was stuck in that facility for almost a decade and it causes new people she meets to automatically distrust her, like my Aunt Rosie.

…Anyway, Christa was let out of the mental facility when she was twenty-one and when my mom was eighteen and was just two months away from graduating high school. Christa is actually pretty nice and I believe my mother was right when she said that Christa was never insane. Christa always acted nice and calm and didn't act crazy or insane or anything like my mother would've done when she was human.

"All right, we're here now. Do you think you'll need anything?" My mom asked.

"No, but thanks. I promise to be on my best behavior," I said.

"All right then, I'll see you later. At six o'clock," My mom finally said.

"Bye, Mom! I love you," I quickly said then kissed my mom on the cheek. I opened the car door, bounced out, and slammed the door shut. I skipped gracefully up the little stone pathway of my aunt's cabin. My aunt's cabin was small (smaller than grandpa Charlie's house) with one floor and a basement with six rooms in total. I actually like it there; it was much more quaint and simple than my own home.

I waved to my mom as she drove away till I could no longer see her down the curvy road. I swiftly rang the doorbell and waited patiently for the door to open. It didn't open. I rang again. Still no answer. I finally knocked loudly at the door incase the doorbell might have broken. Still no answer…

I turned the doorknob to find the door open. Strange, this is a small town but people still locked their doors. The door squeaked open eerily like in some Hollywood, horror movie. I reluctantly peered my head through the opening and decided to step inside.

The floor did not squeak under my light footsteps and the air was still filled with a cold silence that chilled me. It didn't seem like anyone was home with all the lights turned off. I would've thought the cabin was abandoned if it wasn't for all the stuff lying around in a muddle.

"Hello," I called out. I was answered with the same silence I got at the door.

"HELLO," I called out again though much louder. Silence.

There was no one in the living room so I went into the kitchen. Nothing but a loaf of bread in sight. I ran into Christa's bedroom and found nothing again. I even then ran into the bathroom but it was as still and dark as the rest of the house. I finally then had the nerve to check the basement.

I opened the basement door as swiftly as possible so it wouldn't creak. I was surprised to find the lights on and heard what seemed to be a conversation between my Aunt Christa and a…deep-voiced stranger. I walked down the stairs just as swiftly and quietly.

My aunt's basement consisted of two rooms. One that was like a living room with a pullout couch for guests and what the stairs led to. There was a door in the first room that led to the second room. I had never been in the second room; it was always locked and I never bothered to ask what was in it. Right now though that's where I heard the voices coming from…

The door was already ajar so I peaked in through the crack and saw my aunt up against a wall with slight terror in her eyes. But there was also something wrong with Crista's eyes. Christa's eyes were sky blue (like my grandma Renee's) but right now they're as dark violet as the twilight sky over Forks.

Her eyes seemed stand out of her face and there also seemed to be weird black lines, like protruding veins, starting to grow from the tip of her eyelids and ran halfway down her cheeks and up her eyelids. It scared me. And with all I've seen in my life it was hard to scare me anymore.

"Where is it? I know you have it. And don't even try to retaliate with magic. All tear you apart before you can even touch me," I heard the deep-voiced stranger say.

I looked to where the deep voice was coming from and my breath caught. It was a man in iron, medieval armor from head to toe with a black cape that draped off only one shoulder and concealed his face except his sinister smile. Even more, thin, rusted chains hanged both off his cape and armor and practically bound him in his barbaric attire.

But it was not him that scared me; it was what he was holding that was frightening. He was holding a large scythe with that was a poorly, black-painted staff with not one, but three jagged blades attached to it. I saw there were old blood stains on the blades of the scythe even though Christa was unharmed. But how long was it until he attacked her?

"Where is it? Tell me, dang it," the deep voiced man said again with more force.

"I really don't have any idea what you're talking about. Did you lose your T.V. remote again? I can assure you it's not here," Christa replied with the best smile she could pull off on her wan face.

When they weren't looking, I moved closer into the doorway. Thankfully the door didn't creak like the last one did; maybe this door was as scared silent as I was.

Another lucky thing was just as I moved into the room, the man turned his back towards me and stared at the wall so there was no way of him noticing me. Unfortunately, Christa saw me the second I moved and made gestures with her hands behind her back for me to run.

The scary man chuckled darkly and said, "Funny. But laughter won't save you this time." He then swung is scythe menacingly. "You give the orb to me or you give me your head. Pick now I'm getting impatient."

I was so confused. What was this orb he just mentioned? Who is he? _What is he? _ What if he kills Christa? Surely her life is more important than this orb!

Christa stayed silent. "Time's up. I think I'll put your head above my mantle place, Christa. Seems like a nice place to show it off," The dark man said and raised his scythe above his head as he was about to strike Christa. "Bye, bye," he finally announced.

About five things happened at once.

First, Christa screamed for me to run, alerting the dark man of my presence and smile even more mischievously. I would have sprinted away if my legs hadn't become immobile and my instinct to survive dormant.

Second, despite my new presence, the man continued to raise his scythe and target towards Christa's neck. That's when feeling came back to me.

Third, the man's demented scythe finally came down and just as it was about to hit Christa, my legs lurched me in the opposite direction I was supposed to go and I ended up in front of Christa. The scythe ended up hacking me down the torso instead of Christa.

Fourth, I collapsed to the ground, as expected, and heard another shout from Christa. Only this time she was just shouting my name. Suddenly my eyes started to close but I thought I started seeing fire somewhere.

Fifth, everything went black…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Want to find out what happens next? I can assure you Renesmee does not die. If you thought this chapter was a bit gory though, I promise you there isn't going to be another gory chapter though there will be some violence in future chapters (not much more than what you regularly read). Thankfully this is the shortest chapter and the others are much longer than this one.<strong>

**Also, this is just a revised version of my original first chapter that I thought could use a bit of a touch-up. In the next few chapters, there might be a few grammar mistakes but nothing big but I'm sorry if it bothers all you Grammar Nazis out there. There shouldn't be any mistakes in the later chapters.**

**Finally, REVIEWS ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED!**

**-Jumpingjoy22, better known as J.J.**


	2. Time Lost

**Chapter 2: Time lost**

I woke up in a strange haze later that day in a soft unfamiliar bed. I could see blurry things moving within my peripheral vision and then moving in front of me. I felt like…like…someone had given me an overdose on morphine and I felt numb everywhere. I couldn't feel a single one of my muscles. I couldn't tell my right pinkie from my left leg that was how bad it was.

After a couple minutes, my vision finally cleared and I could see Christa wrapping some sort of patch around my torso. She hadn't noticed my waking up so I tried to find the strength and feel to move my head. Christa went out of the room so I took the opportunity to look at what she was patching.

I was able to tilt my head forward and my eyes immediately bugged out of my head. There were two large scars that ran from my shoulder to my hip and probably another one hidden under patches that Christa put on me. My breathing started coming out rougher and I screamed at the top of my lungs. Christa took that moment to rush back into the room.

"Nessie, it's okay! You're going to be fine. Everything's all right," Christa said trying to shush me.

"I…. have…the…. he…. AHHHHH," I tried to stumble out words but I ended up screaming again.

"Nessie I'll explain later but right now you need to be quiet so I can help you," Christa said again.

"The big man with the voice and scythe…," I tried stumbling out words again

"Nessie listen to me!"

"He hurt me…"

"Renesmee, sshhh!"

"Your eyes were purple…"

"I know Renesmee but I'll explain later. You need to rest."

"He wanted an orb…"

"Ness-"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU GIVE HIM THE ORB!"

I then heard Christa say a phrase of words that I didn't catch and suddenly a bright light shot out from Christa's hand and hit me in the head. I was unconscious before my head could fall back on the bed.

* * *

><p>"This is preposterous! I thought we drew the line at six o' clock! What kind of nonsense is this," Rose exclaimed.<p>

I sighed and said, "It's just a sleepover. She's had a ton with the Amazons' and the Denalis'."

"This is different! Renesmee could reveal what we are to your sister!"

"That's ridiculous Rose! My sister Christa is completely oblivious to what we might be. And Renesmee knows better than to do anything that might endanger our secrecy," I reasoned with Rose.

"I agree with Bells. A little sleepover at Christa's isn't going to hurt her." Jacob said agreeing with me. Rosalie gave a huff and looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"Rosalie," I started, "We can't keep her trapped here forever. Maybe this sleepover at Christa's will help her fit in better. She just wants to do some things without us there to watch her every move. When she comes home you can dress her up as much as you want. Just give her this one night alone."

Rosalie's face softened and she said, "Can I at least bring over some clothes and a tooth brush for her. She doesn't have anything for tomorrow."

"All right," I agreed.

I watched as Rose ran up stairs to pack some stuff for Renesmee. Apparently, I got a call from Christa five minutes ago asking if Renesmee could sleepover at her house for the night, they seemed to be having a great time.

I was happy that Renesmee was having fun and could survive without us so I gladly said yes. When Rosalie found out she was furious and then we had this argument and somewhere in the middle Jacob came into the room and joined in.

Speaking of Jacob, I'm surprised he wasn't being as protective as Rosalie.

"Hey, Jacob," I asked, "How come you're not being like Rose."

"I do want to keep Nessie as safe as possible but I don't want to do anything that might push her away and she does need to have a little freedom. Blondie is just being annoying," Jacob explained.

"Oh okay." I started thinking about Renesmee's age then (Physically I mean) she was about 12 and Jacob was 16. Just a four years difference. A four-year difference that would be covered in a matter of months.

No, no I can't think that. I promised myself just after the Volturi's visit that I wouldn't worry about this kind of thing until six and half years. Renesmee is still only five years and five months old. I still had time not to worry.

"Something wrong, love," Edward snuck up on me and said.

"Oh it's nothing," I replied.

"Where's Nessie?" Edward asked.

"She's at Christa's house. Her and Christa are having a sleepover."

"And you're sure that's safe?"

"Yes, though I'm going to miss her not sleeping in the cottage. It's much more lively with her."

"We at least we'll have some _alone time," _Edward said.

"That's true. Maybe we should leave now." I said.

Edward and I walked swiftly out of the house with the sound of Rosalie giggling and Jacob making fake gagging sounds in the background.

* * *

><p>I woke up again not too long after my mental breakdown though I wasn't as drowsy and I had feeling in my muscles again. I looked at my torso to see that all my horrific scars had been patched up. I was a little more calm and controlled when I looked at them. Maybe because I couldn't really see them.<p>

I noticed Christa standing in the doorway with a look of contemplation on her face. I noticed that door out of this room led to the basement and the stairs. This must be the second basement room though it looked different than how I remembered it with the scythe man here.

"Chista, what happened?" I asked.

"I'm thinking of a way to say this to you without you freaking out on me," She replied.

"Tell me who that man was."

"This should be easier to explain to you than most people considering you already know about vampires and your family is made up them-"

"How did you know my family is made up of vampires? How do you know about vampires?" I asked.

"I've known about them for a long time, longer than you or your mother. It was just knowledge that was given to me when I turned 12."

"You mean when you were put into that mental facility?"

"Yes and-"

Christa's reply was cut off by the sound of the doorbell chiming. Christa looked at me and said, "You stay here. I'll answer it."

Christa walked carefully up the stairs. I heard her answer the door and have a small conversation with someone that I'm pretty sure sounded like Rosalie. They chatted for a couple of seconds; I thought Rosalie sounded sad or maybe it was irritation.

When the conversation ended, Christa came down stairs with a bag of my clothes and some other stuff.

"Your Aunt Rosalie came by and brought over some of your stuff. It seems unreasonably large for someone who is only staying over for one night," Christa said.

I tried to get back on the important topic. "So who was that man?"

Christa sighed. "So you know about vampires?"

"Yes."

"Do you know about werewolves?"

"Yes."

"Do you know about shape shifters?"

"Yes."

"Do you know about witches?"

"What?" I finally asked.

"All right that man that attacked you used to be a wizard, but now he's on the dark side and he's now a warlock and he had this orb that he was going to use to kill a human because it is impossible for any magical creature to kill a human by themselves. I stole that orb from him and now he kind of really wants that orb back," Christa explained.

"Um…. um who was this warlock going to kill?" I asked in disbelief

"He wants to kill Charlie. The police ruined one of his plans and now he wants revenge by killing their chief. But he isn't killing anybody, especially not Charlie, not over my dead body."

"Where is he now?"

"I was able to beat and chase him away in the interim that he slashed you and was distracted."

"Do all wizards and witches look like him?"

"No, only warlocks and bad witches look like him."

"So what do witches and wizards look like?"

"They pretty much look like humans except for two features: They have two highlights in their hair that don't match their natural hair color and are two different colors and are usual colors like green or yellow or orange or etc. They are able to use a spell to temporarily change the color of these highlights to match their hair color. And second, when a witch or wizard uses magic their eyes change color. For wizards, their eyes change to a royal blue but for witches their eye color changes to a dark purple and when a witch or wizard is really mad, black lines start to grow from their eyes and around their face."

It finally hit me then. "So this means…"

"Yes, Nessie, I am a witch."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Do you like the story? I hope so because I'm only continuing it if I at least get one review by Tuesday, February 7. If not then I might never finish it and maybe delete it. So review if you like it! If I do get the review then the next chapter will be posted Wednesday, February 8 and I will add a new chapter every Monday, maybe sooner if I want too. Thanks for reading and remember to review!<strong>

**-Love, J.J.**


	3. The Good, The Bad, and the Witch

**Chapter 3: The Good, the Bad, and the Witch**

"Wow…" I said dumbfounded. Aunt Christa…a witch? Isn't anyone around me human! When I looked around the room it started to make sense. There were glass cabinets with an assortment of vials with unrecognizable liquids, a large bookshelf with a collection of books like _The Sorcerer's Guide to Magic _and _Potions for Witches_, and now when I think about it, Christa's scent didn't smell exactly like a human's her scent had more of a bubbly feel to it that itched the inside of my nose.

"And now that know you can't tell anyone," Christa said.

"Except for like my family and the wolves, right?" I questioned.

"You can't tell them either."

"Why not? They'd understand."

"It's not that it's just that…you vampires have a government, right? The Vulucci?"

"The Volturi," I corrected her.

"Well we sort of have that to except we don't really have an oligarchy like you do. We have a monarchy with just one queen that rules over us and this witch queen forbids us from exposing what we are to anyone-even other supernatural creatures. She's afraid that if other creatures find out how many there are of us they'll try depopulate us."

"How many witches are there?"

"Probably not that many. It's kind of a stupid rule."

"What happens if you do tell others that you're a witch?"

"You get punished and the witch queen will always know if you tell someone. I don't how but she just does."

"I know that you're a witch! Are they going to kill you? I'm so sorry," I said worried.

"Don't worry. They'll probably just blame the warlock. The witch queen hates warlocks."

Suddenly curious I asked, "What was that warlock's name?"

"Victor Gates. "

"What did Charlie do to make him mad?"

"Apparently Victor was beating up another wizard in an ally ten years ago and Charlie and the police caught him and put him in jail for several years. He couldn't believe his reputation had been sullied by mortals so now he wants pay back," Christa explained.

"Oh, no."

"Don't worry, he's never going to lay a finger on Charlie as long as I'm around. I think it's time you got to bed, Nessie."

* * *

><p>"The house is so much quieter without Renesmee. I miss her already," Edward said with a pensive expression.<p>

"Me too," I agreed.

Edward and me sat on the couch flipping through T. V. channels having done what we already wanted to do. The alone time was nice but the house just didn't feel the same with Renesmee. I missed her bouncing around the house doing I don't even know what and the way she would talk or "talk" to us. I met just beg Christa to bring her back before tomorrow.

"When are you going to pick her up tomorrow?" asked Edward.

"About noon," I said.

"You know you never told me much about you sister, Bella," Edward said.

"I know."

"Tell me about when you were children. I hear it's an interesting story."

"It's a long one, too. I'll have to include how Christa got into that mental facility."

"I'm all ears," Edward said and gave that special crooked grin.

"Well it all started when I was born," Edward chuckled but ignored him, "For a while we were a happy family then my mom divorced Charlie when I was still a baby as you know. Christa was three at the time. We then moved in with my grandma in California. My grandma was a nice woman who liked to dote on Christa and me. She even tried to teach us Italian, her native language but my mom got mad when she spoke Italian to us."

"My mom went back to school and got a degree in elementary education. Once she got her degree she got a job as a kindergarten teacher and we moved to Riverside, California. It was a little interesting having your mom for a kindergarten teacher."

"My mom, Christa, and me formed a tight knit family. We were really all the friends we would ever need. My mom liked to sing sometimes and would sing me and Christa to sleep. Christa was an excellent dancer; I tried to dance like her too but ended falling on my butt the whole time. So when I was six years old I tried learning how to play the harp. I didn't play it too well the first couple of months but I eventually became pretty good. My mom singed, Christa danced, and I played the harp; we were the Renaissance trio."

"Nobody could split us up. Nobody but Tiffany LaBow. About when I was 7 years old and Christa was ten years old, a family moved in next door to my house. They were known as the LaBow family, a family identical to mine with a single mother raising her two young daughters. One of them was named Tiffany and Tiffany and Christa became friends instantly."

"Tiffany was ten just like Christa and had curly, sunshine blonde hair, pale skin and a freckled nose and face, and snake green eyes. She had cherubic physical features that did not match her personality at all."

"Tiffany stuck herself to Christa like glue and barely left her side. It was like Tiffany worshiped Christa as more than a mere friend. I could see that their friendship was becoming unhealthy for Christa. I tried to weaken their friendship by hanging out with Christa more often. Every time Tiffany saw me she would glare at me like I was some disgusting creature and was openly rude to me which bothered Christa but didn't tear Christa and Tiffany apart."

"Around the same time that they became friends Christa started acting weird. She started acting odd and she would sometimes put things on fire. My mom tried hiding the matches and lighters but Christa some how always found a way to start a fire. I knew that Tiffany was encouraging Christa to become a pyromaniac so that's when my mom tried to end their friendship by telling Christa on some days that she couldn't play with Tiffany and making her chores longer. Elliot LaBow, Tiffany's sister, also didn't like the Christa-Tiffany friendship."

"When I was 9, luck struck. My mom decided to take a job in Phoenix, Arizona and we were going to move there. I thought I had won, but suddenly Christa's condition escalated and things got worse. Nobody ever saw her do this but she was blamed for setting a bush on fire in the park. I actually thought I saw Tiffany do this but nobody believed me. Christa quit dancing and Tiffany kept feeding her more insanity. I told Tiffany off and I didn't see Tiffany until a week later."

"It was late at night and my mom made a run to the store. I was sleeping in bed and so was Christa. But then I heard unfamiliar footsteps but thought I was imagining it. The footsteps continued so I finally got up to see what it was but they stopped as soon as I got out of my room. I walked around the house in case the person didn't leave and when I was about to go back to bed. I saw something sunshine blonde in my peripheral vision and immediately turned around but when I did it was gone."

"Then I smelled smoke coming from upstairs and quickly went back up stairs to get Christa. The fire had started in her room and she was already panicking with fear. We ran outside and called the police immediately. They came but it was already too late. Most of the house had ben burned down. My mother was devastated; actually we all were pretty devastated."

"When we told the police that someone had set the house on fire, all fingers pointed to Christa. They figured that with her fire problem and that the fire had started in her room that she had caused it though how she created the fire was never known. As you know they put her in a mental facility because they thought she was insane."

"The day they put Christa in the mental facility was one of the worst days of my life; my mother cried and cried and went into a depression, my father was distraught, Christa was in agony, and I could've sworn from the LaBow's window that I saw Tiffany smile."

"We moved to Arizona a week later; half our old house was gone and my mom had already bought the house Phoenix so there was no turning back. We visited Christa in the facility a couple of times and every time she didn't look the least bit insane. I never saw Tiffany again and I don't think she ever visited Christa. And then I moved here and _this _happened and Christa came back and we all lived happily ever after."

"That didn't sound like a story with a happily ever after, Bella. That sounded like a tragedy," Edward said solemnly.

"Well at least Christa came back and I don't have to put up with that psychotic, tyrant Tiffany anymore," I said indifferently.

"I don't think Christa was ever insane. I mean I don't get how the fire was started but I don't think Christa did it knowingly. Maybe Tiffany started them," Edward theorized.

"Well there's no point in telling the authorities now," I said then frowned.

"Oh don't be unhappy, love, things have been resolved now."

"I'm not unhappy, but I did have an idea that might make me happy again."

"I already know," Edward said before picking me up and carrying me to the bedroom.

* * *

><p>"So how do you become a witch?" I asked.<p>

"You just get the gene from previous family members," Christa explained.

"So you mean being a witch runs in the family?"

"That's right, Nessie. The last witch in the Swan family was Diane Swan who was my great grandmother and your great, great grandmother."

"So how come my mom didn't become a witch?"

"It's just because your mom didn't get the witch gene," Christa clarified

"So do witches run solo or do witches like to stay together in a coven like vampires? Are witches immortal?" I asked

"Witches are immortal and most of us travel alone or in pairs but there are some witch clans. Witch clans are just basically groups of witches; some witch clans are actual families. I was once part of a witch clan; I promised them that I would go back and join but the longer I stay here the more unlikely that I'll go back to them," Christa explained.

"You were part of a witch clan? But I thought you were in the mental facility while you were a witch!"

"Yes…well no actually. One of the people who worked at the mental facility, Lucille LaBow, was a witch and noticed that I became one too so she would be able to get me out of the mental facility without anyone noticing and would help me become a better witch. I actually knew Lucille before I went into the mental facility because Lucille's daughter, Tiffany, and I were best friends before I went into the mental facility. Tiffany ended up becoming a witch too and that's when the clan started to form."

"My mom mentioned Tiffany before, she said that she was the one who put you into the mental facility," I said.

"Tiffany didn't put me in the mental facility, I did. Though I know why Bella resents Tiffany and blames her. Lets just say that Tiffany drove Bella up a wall and Bella did the same to her in return."

"Oh. So besides you, Tiffany, and Lucille, was there anyone else in the clan?"

"Yes. Lucille's two nephews, Dean and Darrel, joined when their human parents died in a car accident and eventually became wizards. Then two years later, we came upon a warlock who had taken a girl witch as his slave. We killed him and the girl begged to join us and we let her. Her name was Rita. Then three years we took a vacation to Australia and came upon a hostile witch clan that wanted to fight us. They lost and we killed them all except for one that surrendered. Lucille promised the girl that surrendered that we would let her live if she joined our clan. She agreed and we found out her name Sage. There was also Lucille's other daughter, Ellie that was sort of part of our clan but she wasn't a witch. She was an elf. You see Lucille's husband was an elf so Ellie became an elf. Also genetics. Ellie's father died though," Christa described.

"Why did you leave?" I asked.

"Huh?"

"Why did you leave your clan?"

"My sentence at the facility was up and I wanted to go back home to visit my family here but Lucille wouldn't let me. She said that it wasn't right for me to come back here when my family was already well adjusted without me. There's also the fact that since I don't age I won't be able to stay here through out my family's lives and that I would come crawling back here soon enough. I was furious-she had promised me for years that I would get to see my family again-so I left them in the middle of the night leaving a note saying I would come back in a few years. Lucille would have dragged me back but she doesn't know where I am since I'm supposed to be in Phoenix but I'm not."

"Can I ask another question?"

"I think it's time for you to get to bed."

"No, please just one more question," I pleaded.

"What is it?" Christa asked.

"You said witches could run in pairs, is that with a mate or a friend or what?"

"Witches usually run with a mate or another family member or a witch apprentice."

"What's a witch apprentice?" I asked.

"You already asked one question."

"Oh come on."

"Alright, sometimes a witch will ask a human family member to promise an oath and become their apprentice. The apprentice is supposed to organize the witch's books and potions and supposedly makes the witch or wizard stronger. It's a stupid name since the human never actually becomes a witch or wizard. A witch can only have one apprentice. It's supposed to be that only a human can become an apprentice but I have heard of a few exceptions," Christa explained.

"Okay I'm good now. I'll go to bed, I finally admitted.

"Finally. I'll tell you more if you want in the morning. Good night," Christa said before tucking me into the pullout bed in the basement.

I slept well that night, not dreaming of anything specific but I came up with an idea. I was going to tell Christa about it tomorrow morning and I think she'll like it. At least I hope she'll like it. The pullout was surprisingly comfier than my old bed. Maybe because it's the first time I've slept in a bed that didn't have vampires lingering around it. I woke up nice and early the next morning to smell of Christa cooking.

I ran upstairs towards the kitchen where Christa was frying up some good old bacon and eggs. Oh boy did I love eggs! When Christa saw me she smiled.

"Good morn-" Christa was about to say but I cut her off.

"Christa, I want to be your witch apprentice!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Well I got the chapter up just when I promised you. I hope you liked it! I'll be posting new chapters every Monday from now on so remember that! I might post some new chapters sooner if there's a special occasion! Se la vie! See you next time! The story will get so much better if you Review!<strong>


	4. Apprentice

**Chapter 4: Apprentice**

"What? WHAT? Eh-I…you…my…n-no. No, I'm not letting you be my apprentice," Christa declared while stumbling over her words.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Why not? _Why not? _You're asking me why not? Nessie, you don't even know witch apprentices do-"

"So teach me," I said compromising.

"It can be a lot of work sometimes-"

"I can handle it."

"But-"

"I can do whatever a witch apprentice does. Trust me I won't fail you."

"Nessie you're twelve! Twelve years old! Much too young for a witch apprentice. And you need to be a human to be a witch apprentice! Last time I checked, you only fill out _half _that requirement," Christa contradicted.

"You said there were some exceptions, that there were some apprentices that weren't human," I pointed out.

"Not that I know of! I don't even know if that's true!"

"Oh just let me be your apprentice; it's not like I'll turn to dust the minute I try to be your apprentice, will I?"

"No, but you could be rejected and I hear that's pretty traumatizing."

"I don't think I'll be rejected."

"Why do you want to be my witch apprentice?"

"I want to help you get rid of Victor. Charlie is my family too and I don't want anything bad to happen to him either. Besides, I want some payback for what he did to me," I said.

"I can take him down myself-"

"I don't care I want to help. Look, I don't have to be your apprentice forever. I could just be your apprentice for now and once Victor is gone and Charlie is safe we could go back to just being aunt and niece again. Okay?"

"I don't like it but I'll allow it…just for now," Christa said.

"Yay! I-" I was bout to say but then was cut off by Christa.

"I can't make you my apprentice now. There's a lot to explain to you and we don't have that much more time before your mom shows up to pick you up."

"Fine. Can I come over tomorrow?" I asked.

"Sure. Now eat your breakfast or Rosalie is going to complain that I don't feed you."

* * *

><p>I drove down Fork's twisted roads that seemed to expand on for eternity. The closer I got to Renesmee the more it felt like time was slowing down, taunting me that I'll never get her in time. I ignored time and continued at the same speed (which was actually over the speed limit) as I was before. It was weird, I had let Renesmee have other sleepovers and I wasn't as bothered as I was now, but then again those sleepovers happened at other vampires' houses where they could keep an eye on her even as she slept.<p>

But this sleepover was at Christa's, a _human's_ house; someone could have easily broke into Christa's tiny cabin in the middle of the night and could have robbed her or worse killed her and maybe Renesmee. I should have stayed around the cabin and watched them to make sure nothing happened. Oh what if they're bleeding to death right now? I'm a horrible mother.

I quickly shook off my paranoia like it would disappear like that. I just couldn't help this feeling that Christa and Renesmee were in trouble…or were in trouble…or are going to be in trouble. My goodness I'm out of my mind!

It hadn't occurred to me that I had already stopped driving and was in Christa's tiny driveway until I looked up from the steering wheel. The cabin seemed to be in the same condition as it was yesterday. No signs of breaking in were apparent

Not wanting to waste time, I stepped out of the car and walked swiftly to the door. I gave the doorbell a light press while trying to hold in my tension. I could hear footsteps thumping-both Christa's and Renesmee's-on the floor from the other side of the cabin to the door. Christa opened the door with a wide welcoming smile.

"We were just waiting for you. I think Ness got a little homesick," Christa said and Resnesmee smiled affectionately.

"Oh really? Well it's good your coming home now because everyone missed you terribly," I said.

I helped carry Renesmee's three bags (Alice insisted on packing that much because she wasn't sure what Renesmee wanted to wear. I said that Renesmee isn't obsessive over clothing and wouldn't care what we packed her, but Alice just had to). We said our adieus and Renesmee and me were driving home with her in one piece like I hoped.

"Hey Mom, can I go over Christa's house tomorrow?" Renesmee asked.

"Already? I mean we just got you back from her," I said confused.

"I know but it's not going to be another sleepover. I'm just going to stay over her house for awhile."

"Oh I don't know."

"Please?" Renesmee asked and then stared at me with wide, innocent, and brown eyes and battered her eyelashes at me. She leaned towards me and pushed out her lower lip. She looked so adorable that it wasn't even fair.

"Oh all right," I said and gave her small smile.

"Yay! Thank you," She cheered and bounced in her seat. I gave an exaggerated sigh of discontent and Renesmee looked over.

"Don't worry Mom," Renesmee said, "What's the worst that could happen?"

We were home in no time and me and Renesmee skipped to the front steps at abnormal speed. Rosalie greeted us before we could knock (though it wasn't like no one heard us come home). I remembered to place a mental shield around everyone (I had progressed from making one large shield around a group of people to making several shields around individuals); I did this so Edward couldn't hear anyone's thoughts. This was both for everyone's and Edward's benefit; they didn't want Edward in their thoughts and Edward wanted to give them privacy.

The family rejoiced Renesmee like she had been gone one year rather than one day and she seemed happy to be back. I couldn't imagine Renesmee in someone else's family…

* * *

><p>The next day….<p>

"Christa!" I hailed as I bounced into Aunt Christa's cabin and into Christa.

"Hey, what do you want you want to do first? You want to eat or paint or-"

"Teach me how to be your apprentice now!" I screeched as I cut off Christa.

"So impatient. Are you sure there isn't anything else you want to do?" Christa grumbled.

"Nope. Teach me now."

"So stubborn…like your mother," Christa commented. It was weird how many times people said I was like my mother.

"Okay the first thing a good witch apprentice does is make things invisible."

"What?"

"Follow me."

I followed Christa down the basement and into the room Christa kept all her potions and books and all her other witchy stuff. Christa stopped and turned around to face me.

"You see all these potions and magic books here?" Christa asked. I nodded and she continued, "As an apprentice you will have the ability to make these invisible and make them untouchable to anyone to anyone but me. This is used so other witches and wizards and whatever can't steal these from me. This is very simple for you to do. Just touch an object and chant "Not to be seen by others but me, _magus._" Got it?"

I nodded.

"All right the next thing you'll be able to do is create a physical shield. Apprentices create a shield around themselves and their masters. When they are beginner apprentices they only protect from things like wind or dirt. The longer the witch owns an apprentice, the stronger the shield becomes until it can protect things from other people and creatures. Your shield will not become this powerful because you are a temporary apprentice, okay?" I nodded again.

"This also means that if I go into battle you are forced by the bond of an apprentice and a witch to join me. So when Victor comes around again you'll have to help me fight," Christa warned.

"That's what I'm hoping for," I replied.

"All right," Christ said, "The last main thing you'll be able to do is sense if I'm in peril or danger. You'll be able to see what is happening to me, it will come to you like a vision and it is very traumatizing and you could feint."

"My Aunt has visions all the time, she's gotten used to them."

"There are some other details like you will make my potions and spells more effective but you learn the other stuff along the way."

"Oh okay."

"Now here's the best part," Christa said and grinned evilly, "To be my witch apprentice requires one simple ritual. I just chant a few words but the ritual requires you getting a tattoo on your palm. It's going to burn for a couple of seconds then hurt for a couple of days."

"Will I be able to cover my tattoo from my family?" I asked.

"Yes I have a lotion that will cover it up so no one sees it but it will be permanent and it's going to be even more painful taking it off."

"I'm ready to begin when you are," I said encouragingly.

"All right," Christa said.

Christa began by placing her hands on my shoulders and started saying some words that seemed to be foreign to me. It seemed that she would start saying some words in one language then switch to another one until finally she took my palm and lightly pressed her fingernail into it and spoke aloud words aloud that I understood.

"And to finish this ceremony, I declare Renesmee Carlie Cullen to be part _Magica _and to let me, Christina Helen Swan, be her _Magister,_" Christina proclaimed and once she did a swirl started forming in my palm. My palm burned like it was on fire but I stifled any cries. It formed into a black, vine-like swirl that had little red roses and leaves protruding from it. It looked beautiful. I held my hand up to get a better look at it and gasped at how intricate it was.

"Congratulations, you are now a witch apprentice," Christa decreed.

"I like my job already," I said in awe.

"Now your first act as a witch apprentice is-" Christa was cut off by the sound of the doorbell ringing and a short series of soft knocks at the door.

"My first act as a witch apprentice is to answer the door," I said. Christa rolled her eyes and I bounced out of the basement and up the stairs. I answered the door to find a girl whom I had never met before.

She looked about sixteen, maybe fifteen or seventeen. She had pale skin with light brown hair and a side braid that extended all the way down to her waist. She had soft hazel eyes that showed a lost look in them. She was biting down on her lips nervously and was clutching her arm with her hand and I thought I smelled blood coming from her arm. She saw me and looked surprised.

"Is your mother or anyone else home?" The girl asked.

"My Aunt is here, I could go get her for you if you like," I replied.

"Thank you," She said.

"Christa! Aunt Christa!" I called into the cabin and heard a quiet "I'm coming" from Christa. She jogged up the stairs and into the living room and then stopped suddenly when she saw the girl at the door.

Christa stared at the girl with her eyes popped open….

…the girl stared at Christa with a dropped jaw…

…and I just stood there awkwardly.

"Christa?" The girl shouted in disbelief.

"Sage?" Christa shouted back at the girl. It finally hit me then.

"Oh. My. Gosh," I said in shock.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: In case you don't know who Sage is, read Chapter 3 again. Sorry if the chapter isn't long enough I will try to make the chapters longer. I know you have some questions about the story and trust me they will be answered as the story continues. I will post the next chapter on Monday, February 20. Until then, you know my three favorite words: Review! Review! REVIEW! <strong>


	5. The Happy Reunion

**5. The Happy Reunion**

Air swept in through the open door; it was the only noise in the tense moment.

It was one of those rare moments where I actually didn't know what was going to happen next. I was always one of smartest in my family, despite the fact that I'm the youngest; I always knew the answer to any question, I could tell if somebody was lying or telling the truth (without being Maggie), I could tell what someone was thinking (without being my dad), and I could tell what someone was about to do (without being Alice).

But right now I was stumped. I could tell by the facial expressions on Sage and Christa's faces that what was about to happen wasn't going to be good. Would they fight? Would they cry? Would they turn happy and laugh or would somebody die? Sage was the first to break the silence.

"Christa I missed you! I can't believe it's you!" Sage shouted as she ran towards Christa, arms spread out like she was going to give her a hug, but before she could, Christa produced a massive fireball in her hand like the night we were attacked by Victor and got into a pitching position like she was about to throw the fireball at Sage.

"How did you find me? Does Lucille know I'm here? Does she, Sage?" Christa interrogated.

"No, no," Sage denied, "I came here unknowingly! I swear I didn't know you lived here and neither does Lucille."

"Then why are you here?" Christa hissed, every second she looked closer to hitting Sage with that fireball.

"Fate must have brought us together!"

"Fate?" Christa questioned, lifting up one of her eyebrows.

"Well, yes, you see I…I-I've been injured," Sage stuttered and she pointed to her shoulder which I now remembered was blood tattered and was probably hiding a horrible wound, "I was attacked by a warlock on the border of Oregon and Washington. I got away from him and I went to find another wizard or witch that could help me. I went through five towns before I got to Forks and I smelled the scent of a witch. I followed the scent here, I knew the scent was familiar but I didn't realize it was yours. I wasn't hunting you and can you help me?"

Christa didn't let go of her stance for a second and still looked like she was going to hit Sage with that fireball in her hand. I decided to step in and help.

"Hey Christa, I'm sure Sage doesn't want to drag you back to Lucille. She's your friend she doesn't want to hurt you. I mean look at her! Do you think she gave herself that bad of a wound just to have an excuse to give you when she found you? Just get rid of the fireball already," I said trying calm Christa. Sage seemed to nod at what I was saying.

"You better not be lying," Christa said as she got out of her tense, attack position and the fireball disappeared in her hands; her face suddenly relaxed and she smiled a bit and said, "You know, it's good to see you too."

Sage smiled and was about to hug Christa but cried out in pain when she stretched the bleeding wound on her arm.

"I better treat that before you bleed to death. Come follow me, "Christa said then started walking towards the basement. Sage and I followed her down the stairs towards Christa's magic room in the basement. She offered Sage to sit down on the wooden table, which Sage gladly obliged.

"Hey Nessie, could you hand me the clear medicine in the vile behind you on the counter?" Christa asked. I did as told and Christa gave Sage the medicine to drink. The medicine must have been some sort of potion that is used for numbing.

"Hey, who's this?" Sage said and pointed to me.

"I'm Christa's appre-"

"She's my niece. Her name is Renesmee, but everyone just calls her Nessie." Christa said cutting me off. I shot Christa a look but ignored she ignored me and kept on feeding Sage some other magic medicines.

"Does she know?" Sage asked.

"Yes, of course she knows about us witches." Christa said.

"But that's illegal. The queen will be mad and you'll be in big trouble!" Sage said outraged

"No I won't, a warlock attacked her. The queen will just blame the warlock that Nessie knows about our world."

"But she'll blame you for not erasing her mind with a spell!"

"The warlock severely damaged Nessie both physically and mentally, she was too traumatized and injured to have her mind erased so discreetly. And speaking of warlocks, who was the warlock that attacked you?"

"I don't know who he was; I was just minding my own business-trying out some spells in the middle of the woods-and then this warlock jumped me! I could describe him to you. He had short black hair and onyx colored eyes and was wearing steel armor from like the 1500's and a creepy black cape and he had this weird scythe with three blades attached to it-"

"It's Victor." I said quietly while cutting off Sage's story.

"Who?" Sage asked.

"Victor Gates; he's after my grandfather and he's the warlock that attacked me," I explained. I then lifted my shirt up a bit to show her part of the scars on my belly that Victor made with his three-bladed scythe.

"Hey that looks similar to the scar on my shoulder," Sage lifted her blood drenched sleeve up to her shoulder to expose a long cut that ran from her shoulder to a bit below her elbow and said, "I managed to dodge part of his scythe but he managed to get me with one of the blades on his scythe."

Christa immediately started cleaning up Sage's wound with some towels and put pressure on some of the places that were still bleeding. Whenever Christa asked me to get something I did; must be part of being a witch apprentice.

"I still can't believe that warlock Victor hurt such a little girl," Sage said to me.

"Oh it's fine, I get hurt all the time," I said.

Sage squinted at me and asked, "How old are you Nessie? Eleven? Twelve? Thirteen?"

I didn't know what to say so luckily Christa spoke for me, "Nessie is twelve. Speaking of age, the last time I saw you, you were sixteen. I haven't seen you in five years and you still look sixteen, aren't you much older now?"

I thought I knew the answer so I said, "But Christa, you said witches were immortal so isn't Sage supposed to stay sixteen?"

Christa sighed and said, "Well yes, witches are immortal, but when someone turns into witch they keep aging until they're twenty-years old then they stop aging. That's why anyone over twenty can't turn into a witch." As Christa explained I gave a dumbfounded expression.

"So then why is Sage still sixteen when she should look twenty by now?" I asked.

"Yes why are you Sage?" Christa asked.

Sage sighed and spoke, "Three months after Christa left, I was actually seventeen not sixteen by then, I got into a fight with a warlock, it wasn't Victor it was a different one but I lost to him. Instead of killing me he put a curse on me that's actually illegal in the witch world but a true warlock never follows the law. He cursed me so that I would stay seventeen forever until I defeated him in battle again. He went away and Rita and Tiffany found me bruised and healed me. I never saw him again after that day. I tried hunting him but I gave up after a year of no luck. I do remember his name though, but he only went by his last name. He's called McIvor.

"I'm sorry," Christa apologized.

"For what?" Sage asked.

"For not being there to protect you. I could have stopped the curse from happening if I hadn't have left," Christa whispered.

"No you couldn't have. If no one else could have then you wouldn't have been able to."

"But I was the strongest witch. I'm one of the _Lacertosus."_

"What's the Lacertosus?" I asked.

Sage said, "In the witch world, the witches are divided into five classes: the Singularis, Lacertosus, Osher, Ragil, and Anawim. The Anawim are the lowest class and least powerful. The word Anawim comes from the plural, Hebrew word meaning poor. The Ragil are the middle class. Ragil comes from the Hebrew word meaning common because this is the most common rank among witches. I'm part of the Ragil."

"Then there is the Osher which is the upper class. Osher comes from the Hebrew word meaning wealth and the Osher are the wealthiest and are more powerful than the Ragil and Anawim. Think of the Osher like the aristocrats. Then there is the Lacertosus, which is the most powerful class among the witches and very few witches are fortunate enough to be in this rank. Your aunt is lucky enough to be in this rank. Lacertosus comes from the Latin word meaning powerful. Then there is the Singularis. This isn't even a class only one witch can be a Singularis and that is the witch queen. She is the most powerful witch of all. Singualris comes from the Latin word meaning unique."

"All witches are born into their rank and their rank depends on the rank of previous witches in their family. If you're wondering why both Latin and Hebrew are used in witch titles, it's because we couldn't choose between the two of them so we use both."

"Interesting," I commented. I looked towards Christa and said, "You know you never told me you were some powerful witch."

"The topic never came up," She explained and then looked back to Sage and said, "It's still my fault you were cursed by that warlock."

"Christa, don't beat yourself up over something you don't even know is true," Sage said then continued, "Besides, I'm glad you left to spend time with your family. Might as well make the best of your time with them when you don't have that much more time with them anyway. Though you could have sent us some sort of postcard or letter, just to let us know that you didn't die."

"Sorry, I've been a little busy lately," Christa said then asked, "And where is Lucille and Tiffany and the rest of the clan?"

Sage perked up and said, "Well Lucille wanted to go to Versailles, France because that's where the queen lives and apparently some of the best witch clans go where queen and her royal followers are to learn more about witches and to become more powerful. Some witch clans even get to be part of the queen's royal house where they get to be part royalty too. So Lucille dragged everyone with her to Versailles to make us better witches and she wants to be part of the royal house."

"Then why are you here?" I asked.

"While everyone else went to Versailles, Me and Ellie-" Sage paused then asked me, "You know who Ellie is right? Her real name is Elliot. She's Tiffany's sister."

"I know who Ellie is. She's an elf, right?" I said.

"Right, anyway me and Ellie stayed behind because we have to finish school here and Lucille needs someone to take over her house while she's gone."

"All patched up!" Christa said. While we were talking Christa had bandaged up Sage's arm. All the blood was gone and Sage seemed to be in less pain then before. I wondered what time it was so I looked at the clock. It said five: fifty-eight.

"Oh my gosh, my mom will be here in two minutes!" I screeched.

"I'll walk you to the door," Christa said.

"Wash the blood off your hands first!" Christa rinsed her hands under the sink and ran upstairs where my mom would be momentarily. After a couple of seconds, I was joined by Christa.

"Hey Nessie, can you do me a favor?" Christa asked.

"What?"

"Don't tell Sage that you're a vampire hybrid or that your that family is made up of vampires or that there's a werewolf pack nearby."

"Why?"

"She doesn't need to know and it's better if she doesn't."

"Alright, my lips are shut." A couple seconds after Christa's short conversation and me the doorbell ringed. I opened it to find my Mom waiting patiently.

"Are you ready to go?" She asked.

"Yes," I said then towards Christa I said, "Bye see you next time!"

"Bye!" Christa said as me and my mother walked towards my mother's Mercedes (the one she got before she was married but never really stopped using). I wanted to get my Mom away from the house as soon as possible in case she smelled any blood coming from inside Christa's house. Fortunately, I don't think my Mom smelled any blood.

We waved to Christa as we drove away in the car until my aunt's cabin was no longer in sight. Once we stopped waving my mom started to talk.

"So what did you guys do?"

I stiffened and I was unsure of what to say. Oh mom we just saved an injured witch that also happens to be Christa's long lost friend. "Oh we just talked and watched a movie and baked some cookies."

"Sounds like you had a good time," My mom said while smiling and then asked, "Do you plan on going back there soon?"

"Um…well…I did have a lot of fun so yes, I plan on going back there soon."

"As long as it's alright with Christa I don't mind you going."

"Thanks Mom."

With my mom going WAY over speed limit, we managed to get home in just about five minutes. Like last time, when we got in everyone seemed to be waiting inside the house but they all seemed to be doing different things. Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper were watching T.V., Aunt Rosie was decorating the house with flowers, Grandfather Carlisle was reading a large medicine book, Grandmother Esme was knitting, and my Dad and Aunt Alice were trying to play chess. Everyone looked up and smiled at exactly the same moment when we came in.

I went over to watch Alice and my Dad play chess, if I was correct Alice would flip over the board in five seconds.

"So how was your day with Christa?" My Dad asked.

"Oh not much but we had fun," I replied.

And then as if on cue, Aunt Alice flipped over the board in defeat to show to my Dad had won. Apparently My Dad's mind reading abilities were better than Alice's visions and she couldn't decide what to do with out him knowing. It was one of the only times my Mom let my Dad read another family member's mind.

After that, Alice complained to my Mom about how unfair it was for my Dad to read her mind. My Mom then said that if she shielded her that it would be unfair with My Aunt's psychic powers. And then the conversation went back and forth and somewhere along the way the entire family joined in and the topic changed to how to play chess. I sat there bored until I felt a warm hand tapped my shoulder. I turned around to find Jacob smiling at me.

"Hey kid, want to go hunting?" He asked.

I looked at my debating family and said, "I would like to go hunting."

Jacob and me walked out of the house and Jacob went in into the forest to shift into his wolf form. He came back out the same reddish-brown wolf that I loved to see. I walked over to him and we started running through the forest together.

As we were running through the forest Jacob gave me that face that said, "So how did your day?" Over the past years, Jacob and me learned to communicate while Jacob was in his wolf form with him giving me different expressions with his face that had different meanings and I would respond to him with my own special way of talking.

I showed him pictures that I had made up of me and Christa laughing on a couch, her and I watching "Spiderman", and then a picture of us with burnt cookies. I heard Jacob chuckle at the last picture.

He then gave me an expression that said, "What were they talking about?" By "they" I knew he meant my family. I showed him a picture of my Aunt Alice losing at chess and then the argument that came after it.

Then Jacob and I smelled a herd of deer about half a mile away. We split up to catch our own prey; today felt like the day when I would finally catch something that would be bigger than what Jacob would catch. Or maybe what I caught would be bigger than Jacob in general.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Yay a new chapter! I hope you liked it. And I'm sorry if it seems that I have been explaining a lot of stuff lately, I just want the story to make sense but I will try to make the next chapters have less explanations and more action and fun. Also, This Wednesday (February 22) is my birthday, so to celebrate my birthday I'm going to put up a new chapter early! Yay! And since it's my birthday, maybe you could give me reviews as birthday presents! Yay! And don't forget to review on this chapter too!<strong>

**~J.J.**


	6. Practice Makes Perfect

**Chapter 6: Practice Makes Perfect**

"How did your hunting trip go?" My Mom asked curiously.

"I lost to Jacob…again. I caught a doe and he caught a buck. Two bucks actually," I complained.

"Oh you'll beat him one day," My Mother said encouragingly.

"Yah, when pigs fly," I said sarcastically. Since the day I was born, to keep me from drinking human blood, Jacob set up a game to see who could catch the biggest animal on a hunting trip and since the day I was born, I have always lost the game to Jacob. Sometimes I got close to him, better never large enough. Then again it was a powerful werewolf versus a small vampire hybrid, what chances did I have?

"Maybe when you're older you'll stand a chance," My Mom said, as if she could read my mind. Just then Jacob walked into the kitchen where my Mom and I were. He stole some grapes from the fridge like it was no big deal and walked over to stand next to me. He noticed my bad mood and grinned.

"Don't worry Ness, maybe next time you'll win…maybe," Jake teased.

"Oh yah because next time I'll have grown ten feet. What's the score anyway? 391 to 0?" I pouted.

"It's actually 392 to 0," Jake chuckled.

"I don't even care if you're lying. I'll still have 0," I said then frowned and rested my head on the wall.

"Aw, cheer up Ness, its not like it's The Olympics. Besides, I don't know any other five-year-old that could catch a deer like you can."

"I'm twelve," I corrected.

"I'm talking literally," He said.

"Whatever, be quiet."

Jacob grinned and rubbed my head, messing up my hair. "I have to go now, but I'll see you later, Okay?" Jacob then ran out the door where Seth and Embry were waiting outside so they could phase and go on patrol. They all smiled at me and then ran into the woods.

Jacob had been patrolling a lot lately. Apparently there was a new vampire menace in town that was going on a massive killing spree and needed to be stopped, soon.

"Oh, Renesmee," My Mother said-she was so still and quiet that I had forgotten that she was still in the kitchen, "Christa called and said she wouldn't mind if you came over today."

"That's great, can I?"

"Sure, I'm glad you're spending some time with your…non-vampire family."

"When can I go over?"

"She said as soon as you want to."

"Good, can you call her and tell her I'm coming over now?"

"Sure, put on a jacket though, it's going to be real cold outside."

"All right, Mom." Well at least my Mom isn't going to be annoyed with me spending time over there. She wanted me to spend some time with a non-vampire relative, that's good, and Christa is anything but vampyric.

* * *

><p>"So what witchcraft do you have planned?" I asked Christa while we were inside her secret, magic room.<p>

"I don't necessarily have any witch stuff planned but if you're going to be a good witch apprentice then you need to learn about your powers and do some training," Christa said.

"Okay what do you want me to do?"

"Remember how I said you'll be able to make stuff invisible?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember how to make stuff invisible?"

"Yes."

"Okay, see that potion right there," Christa said and pointed to a pink potion in a vile in front of me on the table, "Turn that invisible."

"Okay." I laid my hand on the potion and chanted the words Christa had told me to chant when I wanted to make something invisible. "Not to be seen by others but me, _magus._"

Even though I was touching the pink potion and chanted the right words, nothing happened. It was still there.

"Why didn't it turn invisible?"

"Oh it's invisible, it's just me and you are the only ones that can see it."

"Oh right. Lets get Sage to see if she can see it. Speaking of which, where is Sage?"

"Sage is at school. But don't worry. You have also made the pink vile untouchable to anyone but me and you," Christa said then to test if the vile was untouchable; she took out a penny from her pocket and threw it at the vile. The penny went through vile as if vile was merely air and I caught the penny just after it went through the vile.

"That's awesome," I commented.

"Try to touch the vile you should be able to but I just want to make sure."

I gingerly touched the vile and picked it up to examine it better. I was able to touch it as predicted when nothing else could and I could still see it. I gave the vile to Christa and she was able to hold it too.

"Impressive. Most apprentices mess up on their first try," Christa praised.

"Well I'm not most apprentices."

"Good because you have to turn seventy-eight more potions, thirty books, and a couple of other stuff invisible."

I gave an exaggerated sigh and groaned.

* * *

><p>So I managed to turn all seventy-eight potions, thirty books, and other stuff Christa used as ingredients to spells and potions, invisible. It wasn't hard work but it was tedious and I messed up of couple times.<p>

I actually turned one of the cabin walls invisible and then the cabin almost collapsed. Luckily Christa taught me that if I wanted to make things visible again, all I had to say was "To be seen by everyone, _magus." _So thankfully I didn't break Christa's cabin.

Of course my work as an apprentice wasn't done.

"So the other major apprentice abilities such as creating a physical shield and being able to feel that I'm in danger are things that are automatic. What I do want you to know is how to disguise scents. Specifically mine and yours," Christa explained.

"How do I do that?"

"Simple. Right now you'll only be able to cover my scent and you'll only be able to cover my scent with yours. Just picture me in your head and then picture a shadow of you behind me, then whisper, 'Magus', got it?"

"Okay," I said. It was real easy. I picture things in my head all the time, no pun intended. I pictured Christa standing in the same room we were in now and I thought about my shadow and what it looked like and I just replaced hers with mine. I whispered, "Magus" then opened my eyes.

To test it, I tried to smell Christa's scent in the room but I couldn't. I could only smell my scent.

"Way to go," Christa praised then patted me on the back.

"What more can I do?"

"I think we've done enough work for today."

"Oh, pleaseeeeee! I barely did anything yet!"

Christa smiled at me then we both jumped at the sound of Sage barreling in and smashing the door.

"Sorry if I've been gone for a while," Sage said apologetically.

"Do you mind not breaking my house?" Christa screeched.

"Oops, sorry," Sage said, "I brought someone over. You'll remember her, Christa."

Sage moved out of the doorway so another girl could step in. She looked twenty and was rather tall, her skin was pale but not death pale, she was thin yet had an hourglass figure, her hands and feet were rather small and they seemed to be the same size as mine, and she had some muscle but not enough to make her actually look muscular.

I looked at her face. She had a heart shaped face like Grandma Esme's with soft evergreen eyes, a shy smile, long, sunshine blond hair that ended just below her shoulders, and thousands of brown freckles that dotted her cheeks and nose. She was rather pretty, not ridiculous vampire beautiful but pretty.

"Christa, you remember Ellie, right?" Sage asked.

"Of course I remember Ellie!" Christa said then went over to hug the blond girl, Ellie. "I see you've grown a bit."

"Hey Christa. It's good to see you again everybody missed you and so did I," Ellie said in a soft voice.

"Aw I missed you too," Christa said politely back.

"How come you didn't hug me when you first saw me?" Sage said annoyed.

" Well 1. I thought you would have hated me, and 2. You were covered in blood," Christa said. Everyone laughed though I think I laughed a little too loud and caught Ellie's attention.

"And who's this?" Ellie asked then pointed to me.

"This is my niece, Renesmee. You can call her Nessie," Christa said. I was about to greet Ellie when Sage spoke and interrupted me.

"Nessie is also Christa's apprentice." Christa and me both looked at Sage appalled.

"I see the tattoo on Nessie's hand," Sage accused.

"Well it's still nice to meet you," Ellie said to me.

"It's nice to meet you too," I said.

Sage came into the room then and was about to say something cheerful but stopped and looked around the room with wide eyes.

"Christa, Sage said, "What happened to all your stuff that was in this room? It's all gone!" Christa looked at me with an impressed smile and I smiled back at her smugly.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I know this chapter was short but I was in a rush and I was bombarded with all this work and I'm sorry but it's okay because the next chapter is coming this Monday as you know. And since it's my birthday today (it's also the beginning of Lent for all you Catholics out there) I would like all of you to please review as little birthday presents to me (I know, I'm kind of corny)!<strong>


	7. Don't Get Too Comfy

**Chapter 7: Don't Get Too Comfy**

Pink. Well actually more like light pink the kind of pink you would see on greeting cards that were meant for people who had just had a baby or were going to have a baby and it read, "Congratulations! It's a girl!" That kind of pink. The walls of my room were baby pink because they were painted for me when I was a baby.

The carpet was white, my mom wanted the carpet to be baby pink too but Alice threw a fit saying that you should never have a room where the walls and floor matched. It would be a fashion catastrophe as Alice said to my mother.

Every other piece of furniture was either baby pink or white but some things were both. Take the clock in my room for example, it was white with baby pink arrows and numbers, and right now I was staring at that clock impatiently. Waiting for time to fly instead of drag. I was waiting for Jacob to come by and pick me up so we could go hunting.

I would go hunting with Jacob, I would lose the hunting game, and then I would go to Christa's house. I had pretty much settled into this routine every week for the past three weeks.

Everyday I would get up, eat (human food), get homeschooled, played around with either my family or Jacob or other vampire/human/ werewolf friends, then I would eat (either human food or go hunting with Jacob), and then I would go to Christa's for secret apprentice training and just hanging out.

I had really liked going to Christa's house and I got used to being her apprentice. Before the whole thing with the witches, Christa was reclusive and didn't try to socialize with me too much. Now she was much easier to talk and play with. I also like Ellie and Sage too.

Sage was an optimistic girl with a very free spirit. She made the whole room just a little bit happier. She was a very talkative girl who you could talk about anything with. I once got into a conversation with her about pizza crust and it lasted a whole good twenty minutes.

She didn't like seeing other people upset either; one time Christa started worrying about Victor and wondered if he was too powerful to take on. She gave Christa a pep talk and gave her assurance that she was strong enough because her, Ellie, and me would be there to help her.

Sage was constantly beside Christa when I wasn't and would incessantly tell Christa how much she missed her and said that she had only Ellie as a friend when Christa was gone.

Ellie was rather pleasant too. She was very courteous and acted very kindly to everyone. When Ellie wasn't doing something with somebody or wasn't doing schoolwork, you could find Ellie cleaning around the house, especially sweeping the floors.

She was like the model person anyone would want for a child. She got good grades, did her schoolwork, did chores around the house, behaved well, didn't do anything mean or stupid, willing to help others, etc. And yet it didn't seem as though her family loved her. I heard Sage and Christa talking about Ellie's relationship with her mother Lucille and her sister Tiffany.

Apparently, Ellie was the only elf in her family after her dad died-sadly enough he died just five days after Ellie was born from a home robbery-so Lucille struggled to raise Ellie because she didn't know what to do with elves. Lucille only wanted witch children; she didn't know how to treat a child that wasn't meant to be a witch. So Lucille gave most of her attention to Tiffany who was the child who would become a witch.

Tiffany didn't treat Ellie that well either. The tension between Tiffany and Ellie went beyond sibling rivalry. Tiffany just found Ellie rather annoying because she wasn't a witch and could hardly think of an elf as her sister. It was cruel really and I think Ellie's family troubles gave her a low self-esteem. Thankfully Ellie is happier here from what I see and hear.

So we were a little group of friends and mythical creatures. Well not that Ellie and Sage knew I was one. Christa still kept Ellie and Sage in the dark about my…vampire heritage and my vampire family and the shape shifters close by. I asked her why and she said that if they didn't need to know then it wasn't worth telling. I warned her that they might find out soon but she didn't think so.

I heard a knock at my door. "Come in," I said. Jacob peeked his head through the door and smiled at me.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

"I've been ready for thirty minutes," I said.

Jacob and me sauntered out the door of my cottage and into the woods. Jacob phased and then we began our hunt. Jacob gave just gave me a casual look and I knew what that meant. _What do you want to catch?_

I showed him a picture of me with two mountain lions already dead and waiting to be eaten and then just to mock him I showed him a picture of him with just a bunny in his mouth.

Jacob barked a laugh as if it were a joke. I didn't think I was going to win that easily either.

My prediction almost came true. Almost. I cached two grown mountain lions and drank them instantly. Jacob came back not to far with a bunny in his mouth. I was about to laugh until I found him being chased after by three mountain lions. He dropped the dead bunny from his mouth and then turned and clawed at the mountain lions chasing him.

It was a battle of quality versus quantity. The three mountain lions were fast and furious but Jacob had the superior strength and lightning-fast speed. Jacob took them down one by one until each of them was dead. Those lions didn't even have a chance anyway.

"Show off," I called out to Jacob. Jacob grinned and ate his dinner. I wondered why Jacob did it. The wolves could eat food like normal human beings, which they very much preferred to do, with regular food but Jacob got his dinner the harder and much more gruesome way. I knew the only reason he hunted was for me, but why go through all the trouble of food for me?

I tried to find a reason and only came up with the possibility that Jacob had the biggest ego ever and he hunted just to show off and brag to me. It didn't fit Jacob's personality completely but I would just have to stick with that reason for now.

When Jacob was done we headed back into the woods. We didn't head back to my house right away we just wandered aimlessly through the woods. I thought that Jacob and I knew the forest better than anyone ever did because we knew how to get anywhere in town through these woods.

We walked calmly and casually, closely listening to the birds chirping and water running. We walked for about fifteen minutes when Jacob came to a violent stop and looked around.

I looked at the expression on his face; he was shocked but also fierce. He hadn't told me what this expression said but he didn't need to. I could tell by the look that there was danger nearby and there was only one danger in these woods: a vampire.

"Vampire." I whispered.

Jacob nodded his big wolf head.

I tried to smell the air around us to see if I could smell it but I couldn't smell the vampire. It might have been that my senses were duller than Jacob's but I also couldn't see any vampire. We were still for a couple of minutes until Jacob relaxed his pose.

"False alarm?" I asked. Jacob nodded and we started walking again.

"Maybe this new vampire has been giving you paranoia," I suggested. Jacob shrugged.

"How has the progress with the vampire been going?" Jacob shrugged again.

"Do you think you'll catch it?" Jacob looked at me with a lifted eyebrow and grinned as if to say _don't we always?_

"But you're struggling to catch it?" Jacob gave a nod but gave me an encouraging smile as if to say _we'll catch it eventually._

And for some reason this question popped into my head. "Jacob, do you miss being human?"

Jacob shrugged.

"Do you want to be human again?" Jacob nodded no. I was about to ask him why but then wolf Seth and wolf Leah came out into view. Jacob looked to be having a conversation with them in their heads. He growled and whined a bit and eventually turned to me. He cocked his head in Leah's and Seth's direction as if to say _I have to go with them _but he then cocked his head towards me to say _but I'll take you home first_.

"Oh it's okay Jake, I was about to tell you that Christa's house is just a mile away and I'll just walk there," I said but Jacob whined.

"I'll run really fast I'll be there in under two minutes." Jacob was hesitant but finally walked away with Leah and Seth. He looked a bit worried but did his best to cover it.

I ran at the fastest speed I could go towards Christa's house without hitting anything. After thirty seconds I started to get tired and slowed down a bit to a regular human running speed. The forest was calm and was starting quiet down with the setting sun. I could see sunset perfectly despite the trees and branches and clouds in the way.

I always liked sunsets; they were a symbol to me of a happy and peaceful day and brought what little warmth to this dreary town. I treasured the days where I would get to see one without the clouds blocking it.

My euphoric moment shattered when I smelt something. Not only could I smell it but also I could feel it watching me. I breathed in and out.

Vampire.

The vampire Jacob must have smelt before was here and it was close…very close. I didn't turn around for fear that it was just a few feet behind me and would pounce the minute I saw it. I kept running like I hadn't sensed anything. Just keep running. Just keep running. Dang why didn't I let Jacob follow me?

I slowly picked up my pace with each step. Christa's cabin wasn't that far now I could see the house already. The vampire wouldn't go inside Christa's cabin. Would it? Just keep running. Just keep running.

Yes! Christa's cabin was now in perfect view and I would be safe. I was about to let out a sigh of relief when I saw something in my peripheral vision. In the corner of my eye I saw a tall person with long hair and pale skin. But I could tell by the way the sunlight glimmered on this person's skin that it was not a person.

I was finally right outside Christa's cabin but the suspense was about to kill me (maybe literally) and I turned around. Nobody was there. The only things around that were tall were the trees. Was it my imagination or was it a vampire?

Whatever. I skipped around Christa's cabin to the front door and tapped the doorbell. I looked around quickly to see if anything was still there. Nope. I could here Ellie's light voice saying, "I'm coming!" and I started to relax. Ellie opened the door with a smile on her face.

"Hello Nessie it's good to see you again."

"Hello Ellie it's good to see you too."

I stepped inside and walked to the living room where everyone usually was. I found Christa sitting on the couch while leaning over the coffee table looking at the newspaper with a hand on her forehead and frowning worriedly. Sage was sitting next to her with a helpful hand on Christa's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Christa held up the newspaper to show me the headline. "Attack on the Police! Prank Or Terrorism?"

"What happened?" I asked.

"You didn't hear?" Ellie said incredulously.

"No, what?"

"Somebody shot a police officer in Forks," Christa said, "They haven't found who did it, but I'm sure we have a good idea who did."

"Victor."

"Yep," Sage said solemnly. It was the first time I had actually seen Sage solemn.

"Is the officer dead?" I asked.

"Nope just badly wounded in the shoulder," Christa said, "But Charlie's frantic. He's hell-bent on finding who did it. I'm just worried that Charlie might find what he's looking for."

"So what do we do?"

"We wait."

"Wait for what?"

"Wait until Victor reveals himself to the town."

"Somebody could be dead by then. Somebody almost died today. He could reveal the magical world by then!" I said frantically.

"She has a point," Sage said.

"Then the witch queen will erase the minds of anyone who knows," Christa said.

"But what if the witch queen blames us for not preventing it or at least warning her about it," Ellie said.

"Then we'll have to hunt Victor down," I said.

"How are we going to do that?" Ellie asked.

"Isn't there some sort of spell or potion that can help you."

"The Finder's Potion!" Sage gasped.

"What's that?"

"It's a spell that allows you to see someone's footsteps or tracks but you would need an object that that person owns."

"It can also be some DNA." Sage said.

"Victor must have left a strand of hair around here, right?" I asked.

"Of course! Nessie you're a genius!" Sage praised me.

"Because it's so easy to find a strand of hair lying around." Ellie pointed out sarcastically.

"I'll go looking now!" Sage said enthusiastically.

"She does know I was being sarcastic, right?" Ellie said.

* * *

><p>"So it took me a while but I finally found something that I recognized came from Victor," Sage said and she handed Christa a strand of short black hair. I couldn't imagine how Sage found it, even if she did have a magnifying glass.<p>

We were all crowding around in Christa's magic room. Christa had turned on the stove down here and set out the ingredients for this potion. Some of the ingredients were regular things like water, baking, soda and sugar and the rest were potions Christa already had.

Christa had set up a pot on top of the stove that would be used to help brew the potion. Once we had the strand of hair Christa filled up the pot with water and a question popped into my head.

"Doesn't water melt witches?"

"Oh please, Nessie, that's nonsense. Now hand me that yellow potion right there," Christa said. I gave Christa the yellow potion and she poured half of it in the pot.

"Now hand me that sugar," Christa ordered. She poured a cup of sugar in the pot and stirred the ingredients around with a spoon. Christa kept asking me for the ingredients and I gave them to her and she continued to stir (I had to give her the ingredients because Ellie and Sage couldn't touch or see the potions and because it's a duty of an apprentice to help out).

The potion making went on for a while until I gave Christa the final ingredient: the strand of hair. Christa gently put the strand of hair into the brew and gave a good long stir.

"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble," Christa whispered strangely.

"Do you actually have to say that?"

"No, but it's fun to," Christa said returning to her normal voice. A moment later she said, "Alright it's done." She then poured the potion into four different cups and waited for them to cool down.

"Okay everyone drink from one of the cups."

"Do we have to drink it all?" I asked.

"Yes." I took a cup and started drinking it fast so I wouldn't be able to taste it. I was left with a…strawberry and coffee flavor in my mouth. I tried to ignore it and watched as everyone drank it much calmer than I did.

"Okay so this potion will make you be able to see Victor's tracks. The tracks will stay fresh up until a week. The potion will last up to two weeks. You'll also be able to sense if Victor is within a mile of you. Everybody got that?" Christa said.

"Yes." Everyone said in unison.

"Okay good."

We all stood around in a wobbly circle trying to digest the potion. The potion felt awkward in my body like my body didn't know if it was a friend or a foe. I could also feel the potion spreading through out my body like venom. It didn't burn but it tingled a bit. I jerked when I heard a familiar car honk coming from outside.

"My mom's here," I said. Everyone gave a wobbly wave goodbye and I tried to keep my balance as I walked out of the cabin. I met my mom in her red Ferrari parked in Christa's driveway and climbed into the passenger seat.

"So how was your day?' My mom asked.

"Good," I said shakily.

"You look…disoriented," My mother noticed.

"Uh…I had some tacos at Christa's. I don't think they work to well with me."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." I laid my head against the seat as my mom slowed down the car, probably trying to make sure I don't throw up. I rested quietly and stared out the window. I've heard you can scare yourself out of disorientation. That must be true because my fuzzy feeling instantly started to go away when I thought I saw my imaginary vampire in the car behind me. When I turned around all way the car was gone…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: One of my favorite and longest chapter yet! I love writing suspense chapters. I'll update again next week and as a famous fanfiction write one said:<strong>

**REVIEW IT OR LOSE IT!**


	8. Bowling Mysteries

Chapter 8: Bowling Mysteries

I sat quietly on my bed while reading _The Outsiders_ and waiting for Jacob to come by and save me from the boredom of the house. Today he promised to take me bowling for the first time.

I've never been bowling once in my five years of living. To some people it may sound pathetic but, yes, that's how much time I've been kept in this house.

I had just finished reading the part where Johnny and Ponyboy get to the church in _The Outsiders _when I heard a knock at the cottage door. I leaped off my bed and ran to the door and flung the door open.

"Ja-," I was about to say Jacob's name but then I saw Uncle Emmett in the doorway. "Uncle Emmett, what are you doing here?"

"Well Jacob's pack ran across a vampire scent so he can't take you bowling so instead of making your day worse I thought I would take you bowling," Emmett said.

"Oh thanks, Uncle Emmett. You don't have to, me and Jacob could go tomorrow-"

"Nonsense! I'm taking you bowling whether you like it or not," Emmett said while cutting me off.

"Fine," I said then sighed.

"Alright lets go!"

We walked out of the house and then I realized we had no car to drive to the bowling alley.

"Uncle Emmett, how are we going to get there without a car?" I asked.

"We walk there, through the woods."

"But won't the humans notice we didn't go there in a car?"

Emmett looked at me smuggle then and said, "Nessie, humans are much more oblivious than you think. They won't notice we didn't arrive in a car. They've got better things to think about. They'll be too busy bowling or doing other human things. The parking lot will probably be packed so it could look like we parked somewhere else. Nobody is going to suspect anything weird."

"Okay lets start walking," I said

"Did I say we were walking?"

"Yes."

"I lied," Emmett said then picked me up and put me on his back. "Hang on tight kid."

I held on to Emmett for dear life (Practically clawing at him to stay on) as he ran through the forest with superfluous speed. I was used to going somewhere on a vampire's back and at vampire speed but running with Emmett was something different.

I started thinking about what Emmett said about humans being oblivious and I wondered if that's the reason why nobody suspected Christa of being a witch or just not human.

It wasn't that Christa acted in a peculiar way but there were some flaws I had seen in her that wouldn't be considered normal. But then again, I didn't recognize these flaws until after I found out she was a witch.

But then there was the story with Tiffany. I remember my mom telling me about her a while ago. My mother was a perceptive woman; didn't she suspect that there might have been something not normal about Tiffany? Maybe everyone was guilty to being oblivious.

I heard Emmett's phone ring and Emmett stopped abruptly and I fell off his back. "Sorry Nessie," Emmett said then picked up his phone. "Hello?" I heard someone yell at Emmett through the phone and I thought I recognized Aunt Rosie's voice.

"Hey Nessie, do you mind if I take this phone call in private?" Emmett asked.

"Yes, go ahead," I said and wondered what Emmett did to make Aunt Rosie so angry. Emmett dashed away from me. I didn't know how far he went but I just sat down and scribbled stuff in the dirt with a stick.

I drew a bunny, frog, and dolphin before I finally ran out of ideas of what to draw. Valentine's Day was next week so why not draw a heart? I drew a heart with and arrow going threw it and inside I wrote my initials and a plus sign (R.C.+).

I thought of what name to put after the plus sign to signify whom I would end up with. Well it wasn't like I had met a lot of people, much less men. There was that guy at the post office named Larry. I met him a couple of times he seemed nice. There was Ron from the gas station. He seemed nice too.

I sighed. Maybe I should think of people closer to me. What about the Quileute wolves? I liked a couple of them. There was Seth he's pretty awesome and sweet. But I can't imagine falling for him when I was older.

There was Collin he was cool too. But yet I couldn't imagine falling for him either. There was Brady and seemed polite. But I still couldn't imagine falling for him either

And there was a thing they all had in common; they all kept a bit of distance from me. It wasn't because they didn't like me from my vampire heritage no it was something else. But every time I stood, sat, or laid a little too close to them they would move away just a couple of inches away from me.

They tried to be polite about it and make it seem like it was nothing but I eventually caught on. Truly the only wolf that didn't push me away was Jacob. Actually he was close to me all the time. He would hug me and pick me up and let me sit on his lap all the time like it was nothing. Interesting…

I still hadn't written anything when I noticed some movement in my peripheral vision. I looked up hoping to find Emmett but instead found my imaginary vampire standing there looking not so imaginary.

The vampire had pale skin as usual with pencil-straight auburn hair that reached all the way to her waist and high cheekbones. She was lanky and almost as tall Emmett with an hourglass figure. She wore a red blouse with blue jeans and black flats. I saved the color of her eyes for last: black.

She was either in the woods stalking me or looking for a snack…maybe both…

She started sauntering towards me like she wasn't in a hurry but enjoyed every step she took getting closer to me…

I started scrambling backwards while trying to stand up but I tripped over a log and cut myself deeply on a large fallen branch. I started bleeding immediately. Perfect. Just perfect.

I kept trembling backwards until my back hit up against a tree. Oh no. Emmett please return right now!

She had me trapped up against a tree. I was too scared to move. She kept moving closer until we were face to face. She bent down to look at me eye to eye and smirked like I was an old friend. She took her hand and caressed my cheek and looked at me adoringly.

"We're going to get along greatly, Renesmee. We're going to be the best of friends. You want to be friends right?" The vampire's voice was so sweet and so kind. Even though her words sounded like insanity I couldn't help but smile a little.

"My name is Natalia. It's good to finally meet you in person, Renesmee," She whispered.

"How did you know my name?" I asked.

"It's so nice to meet you," The vampire-Natalia-said again and her words for some reason made her seem nicer, like I wanted to be her friend.

I shook off the feeling and kept interrogating. "How do you know my name?"

"I've been watching you for a while Renesmee. You seem like such a nice girl. Look, I think we're already friends!" She beamed at me and spoke again.

"You know what friends do Renesmee? They give each other food." Natalia then picked up my injured arm that was still bleeding and eyed. She then licked my bleeding wound.

I was so thoroughly repulsed and daunted that whatever nice thoughts I had about her moments ago were gone. As Natalia tasted my blood in my mouth she frowned and tried to spit out my blood. I noticed that she did not spit out any blood but venom. Where was the blood she took from me?

She looked at my wound again and with her finger she wiped some of my blood onto her finger. Just a couple seconds the blood on her finger turned to vampire venom. She touched some of my blood again. The blood turned into venom again. Every time my blood made contact with her skin it would turn into venom.

Natalia wiped my wound with a leaf but the blood on the leaf didn't turn into venom. We gasped simultaneously.

"How weird…," Natalia said interested. I'd seen enough. I ran away from Natalia.

"You can run but you can't hide from me, Renesmee Cullen!" Natalia called out after me.

I stopped running until I was half a mile away from Natalia. I hid in a bush behind a few trees. I tried to calm my breathing and my heartbeat so Natalia couldn't hear me.

What just happened? Why was that girl following me? What did she want with me? When did my blood turn to venom at a vampire's touch? Please tell me I just imagined that whole scenario.

I heard a ruffling and the sound of branches snapping and footsteps coming towards me. I held myself in a fetal position and closed my eyes. I heard someone lift the bushes off the ground and I knew I had been found.

"Please don't hurt me!" I exclaimed.

"I will if you run off on me like that again!" Someone who wasn't Natalia said. I opened my eyes and looked up to find Uncle Emmett glaring at me.

"Where in hell have you been?" Emmett hissed darkly.

"Uhmm…here…"

"Are you crazy? I have been looking everywhere for you! Why did you leave? What were you doing?"

"I'm sorry. I thought I saw a deer."

"And what happened to your arm?" I looked down at my arm that now had dry blood on it and rolled my sleeve down so it would be covered. "I scraped myself on a large branch while running."

"Don't ever do that to me ever again," Emmett said and for once he didn't have his cocky, smug grin on.

"I won't."

"Renesmee Cullen, I think you almost gave me a heart attack."

* * *

><p>We arrived at a bowling alley in Seattle in about thirty minutes, much less time then it would have taken a human. Emmett was still concerned and serious but hid it with his signature grin.<p>

We had rented bowling shoes and had paid for three games. I had seen bowling on T.V. a couple times so I knew how to bowl somewhat.

"I'm first!" Emmett declared. He rolled his bowl underhand and with a swift roll ended up getting a strike. "You think you can match that, Nessie?"

"I'll try," I said then gently rolled the ball. The bowling bowl went at a very slow rate (about almost half a minute) down the alley and went into the gutter before it could hit the pins.

"Nessie, there are two very important things you need to know when bowling; 1. You must get the bowling ball to hit the pins, 2. The game needs to end before the beginning of next year," Emmet said with mocked seriousness. I stuck my tongue at him and rolled again. I managed to roll the bowl at a faster pace this time and hit two pins.

"Not bad, you know, for someone who sucks." I stuck my tongue at him again. It was like that for two games. Emmett got all spares and strikes (so much for looking human) and I only hit two or three pins at time. Sometimes I got seven pins or nine pins and one time I got a spare.

After the first two games, Emmett and me went to eat lunch. Okay for _me _to eat lunch. There was a small Pizza Hut in the bowling alley that sold, well, pizza that I like to eat. I didn't like all human foods but I really liked pizza. Emmett and me went to a secluded corner booth by a small wall that separated the Pizza Hut from the bowling alley.

"You stay here while I order the food, okay?" Emmett said and emphasized the _stay here _part.

"Okay," I said and Emmett jogged over to the long line in the Pizza Hut. I sighed at the amount of time it would take him to get in front of the line and then wait to get the food. I was fiddling with the hem of my skirt and bouncing my red curls when I noticed the odd boot prints in the carpet.

It looked like someone had tracked something in with his or her boots. But the strange thing was the prints were _purple _and it wasn't like a dirty boot print it was like perfectly outlined prints of someone's boots and by the look of it, I seemed to be the only one noticing them. Then Christa's voice popped into my head…

"…_So this potion will make be able to see Victor's tracks…"_

I turned to look at Emmett; he hadn't progressed too far up the line and didn't seem to be checking on me so I slipped out of the booth and followed the tracks.

I carefully followed the footsteps in case I stepped on one of them and the footprint would become smudged but I also had to make sure I was casually walking to the humans.

The trail extended back into the bowling alley and curved around a few people until it finally stopped at…the bathroom.

I walked back into the Pizza Hut and tapped Emmett on the shoulder. He turned around to look at me with a grin on his face. Good, he hadn't noticed I left.

"May I run to the bathroom real quick?"

"Sure," Emmett said. I ran back to the bathroom still careful not to step on the footprints. Thankfully it was a one-toileted, unisex bathroom so I wouldn't be caught sneaking into the men's bathroom. If Victor used the men's bathroom.

I looked inside, Victor's footprints wee in here too, but that was all I saw. I looked by the toilet, nothing there. I looked by the sink, nothing there either, but I saw purple fingerprints that seemed to belong to Victor. I checked by the trashcan, nothing there, until something glimmered within the trashcan.

I looked inside the (sanitized) trashcan and picked up what looked like a glimmering, ruby ring with Victor's fingerprints on it.

I washed the ring in the sink incase it was dirty and found a little inscription on the inside the ring's band.

I couldn't read it because it was small and it didn't seem to be English so I shoved it in my pocket and slipped out the bathroom casually. What was so special about the ring to Victor? Why would he throw it out?

I ate pizza and didn't speak of the ring once to Emmett and when we went backed to bowling I acted my normal way.

The way back was thankfully a shorter run and Emmett dropped me back at my house saying that my parents would be back in no time.

When he left I quickly pulled out my phone and texted Christa:

**Victor is in Seattle. I have his ring. **

I pressed the send button and went back into my room to finish reading _The Outsiders._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I am so, so, so, very sorry that this chapter is late! I was trying to finish writing it but then LIFE HAPPENED and I was unable to complete it for yesterday. I am also sorry for my grammar issues! Forgive me and please review!<strong>

**-J.J.**


	9. A Little Ruby But a Whole Lot of Trouble

**Chapter 9: A Little Ruby But a Whole Lot of Trouble**

"So where did you get it?" Sage asked.

"I told you I found it in the trash can in a bathroom," I said.

"It might not be ruby if Victor just carelessly threw it away in the trash," said Ellie.

"Or maybe Victor's an idiot I mean if someone proposed to me with this ring I would probably feint. I mean look at the size of it you could fit an elephant in there," Sage said.

"Sage is right, it is ruby."

"So why would you throw away a perfectly good ruby ring?"

"Maybe it's enchanted," Christa suggested.

"Give it to me, I'll be able to see if it's enchanted," Ellie said gleefully.

"Alright Ellie, while your checking the ruby, I have to check on Sage's and Nessie's bandages."

"Can do, boss."

Christa's face turned really grim right there and she hissed, "Don't call me boss I'm not your leader." Christa went into the kitchen and motioned us to come with her. Once we were in the kitchen, Christa started pulling out some medical supplies.

"Okay Nessie let me see your patches," Christa said. I lifted my shirt to expose my stomach that was still layered with patches Christa had put on me.

"Okay Nessie your wounds should have healed up by now so I'll just remove the patches," Christa said and then gently started pealing away the patches. It was a bit painful but I kept my mouth shut. As I looked at my scars I realized that they healed faster than they should have, even with my skin as impenetrable as it is it still healed a little bit too fast. All that was left was jagged pink lines across my torso.

"They healed quickly."

"It's because of the potions I gave you. The rest of the scars should heal up in about a week and then you'll go back to how you were before."

"I'm surprised my family didn't smell the blood coming off of me," I said then laughed, but Christa looked at me with wide eyes and I cursed myself for forgetting that Sage was in the room.

"How would your family be able to smell blood?" Sage asked.

"Uhmm…I just meant it as a joke, you know because my wounds were really bad I didn't mean they could actually smell the blood from them I mean what kind of people can smell blood?" I said coolly, maybe a little too cool.

"Oh, ha-ha," Sage laughed and when she didn't notice, Christa and I let out a relieved sigh.

"Okay Nessie you're all good, it's your turn Sage," Christa said. Christa carefully rolled up Sage's sleeves then examined the patches and pealed them off too. Like me, all that was left of Sage's scar was a long pink line.

"So what are we going to do when Victor shows up again?" I asked.

"We attack on spot," Sage said. Sage was nice and sweet but she tended to be overconfident and heroic. I didn't know why but she reminded me of someone.

"Sage we can't just attack him," Christa said.

"You're right, we should probably have tea with them first. We don't want to seem impolite." I started giggling at Sage's comment and Christa simply rolled her eyes.

"What I meant was maybe we don't have to fight I mean we can negotiate something first-"

"I don't negotiate with people who tried to tear off my arm! And I don't think he's to willing to negotiate either," Sage said cutting Christa off. Christa was about to say something but Ellie came dancing into the room.

"Guys I have great news!" Ellie said.

"What?" Everyone else said in unison.

"Okay so it turns out that the ring is enchanted. It's supposedly some sort of ring that's used to poison or maim other people."

"He was going to use it against us," Christa said.

"So why would he throw it out?" I asked

"Maybe he misplaced it or he's an idiot. Maybe he's a combination of both." Sage said.

"Sounds logical," Christa said sarcastically.

"Maybe the ring doesn't work for him," Ellie said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well rings like these, they can only work for one person. The person who enchants the ring can only make it work for himself or someone else. Though only an elf can enchant an object."

"So he knows an elf," I said.

"Or he stole the ring from an elf," Christa said.

"And he threw it away when he couldn't use it to his own advantage," Ellie said.

"Look how smart we are," Sage said.

"This also means we can't use it though," I said.

"Maybe we can use it." All heads turned towards Christa.

"Maybe the ring was meant for one of us," Christa said.

"Um…Christa, the only elf we know is Ellie," Sage said.

"Maybe an elf who hates Victor enchanted it for one of us to use to kill Victor,"

"That doesn't very logical," Ellie said.

"I say he just stole it from an elf," Sage said.

"Speaking of which, where is the ring?" I asked.

"Oh I left it on the coffee table, can you get it?"

"Sure." As I went into the living room I heard Christa and Sage return to their arguing on the origin of the ring. All this trouble for one ring…how powerful was it?

As I spotted the ring on the table and bent to pick it up, my phone started to ring. I looked at the caller I.D. It said "Unknown." I picked it up any way.

"Thanks for not telling your friends about me," Natalia said through the phone. I had to stifle a gasp when I heard her voice.

"I'm glad you didn't tell your friends that I'm a vampire. Did you know your friend Sage was attacked by a vampire when she was twelve? Or a vampire and a Child of the Moon attacked that Ellie at the same time? When she was just fifteen? You should ask them about it. You would be surprised by the history of your friends," Natalia said continuing.

"What do you know about them? How do you have my phone number?"

"Lets just say I've been watching you all for a little while now. Well not really all of you more just you but I dug a bit into your histories."

"Don't you find that disturbing?"

"Never mind that's not the point. The point is that you found my ring and I'm really thankful you did but now I need it back." And with that Natalia hung up. I tried to control me breathing as I took all this information in.

"Who was that?" Christa asked.

"My friend," I lied smoothly.

"What did she need?"

"Oh nothing in particular." _Except that ring…_

"Hey guys I just realized something," Ellie said.

"What?" We all asked in unison.

"I went to the alley where Victor shot that man. Victor's tracks weren't there but the crime was just three days ago."

"That makes no sense," I said.

"Unless…" Sage said but couldn't finish.

"Unless Victor didn't shoot the guy?" Ellie asked.

"No, unless Victor has accomplices," Christa said.

"You girls are all very smart. Too bad your weak," said an all too familiar voice. We turned around to Victor standing in the doorway (how did we not here him come in?) with an evil grin on his face.

"Victor," We all hissed.

"Nice to see you girls again, though it might be the last time I see you," Victor said then manically laughed.

"Okay time to kick but," Sage said.

"Nah ah ah! You said I had accomplices which I do and I would like you to meet them." Victor stepped into the cabin like he owned the place and behind him emerged three young men.

"This is Dominic," Victor said and pointed to the first boy in line. He had a lanky build with sandy colored hair, pale skin, and pale blue eyes. He looked about eighteen He had a cocky and overconfident grin.

"This is Tom," Victor said then pointed to the second boy. He had brown hair with olive skin and dark brown eyes. He looked about seventeen. His grin was absolutely insane and he looked like he was about to have us for dinner.

"And this is Jericho" Victor pointed to the last boy. He had platinum blond hair with purplish blue eyes and cream-colored skin. He looked twenty. He did not smile at all and he seemed reluctant to be here.

"Can we kick your but now?" Sage asked sarcastically.

"Thought you might want to know you murderers," Victor said almost thoughtful. I saw Dominic and Tom grin wider at his words but Jericho seemed to flinch. At least we know who the weakest link is.

"Enough with the chit-chat. We're fighting now," Christa said determined and Sage let out a sarcastic, "So much for negotiating."

And then an inferno erupted through out the small cabin. Fire was being thrown from all directions and some people were casting spells. We managed to push Victor and his adherents outside the cabin and onto the front lawn. Luckily the cabin didn't catch on fire.

It was also good that Christa had no neighbors or they would be seeing one amazing firework show right. It was also good that there were no cars passing by either, even if they weren't human.

I tried to stay close by Christa and tried to protect her in case any of the warlocks came at us head on. I tried using some of the fighting skills Jasper had taught me in case of a situation like this (not that he really knew something like this could happen).

I sometimes went over to Sage and Ellie and tried tripping the wizards attacking them (Luckily the spells and fireballs created a mass of smoke that covered me from being seen so nobody noticed me running at unnatural speed).

The battle went on for about fifteen minutes before we started getting weaker. Victor and his wizards (warlocks?) kept pounding us with more fire and magic and we started to retreat. And at last we were cornered.

"This is why I wanted to negotiate," Christa hissed.

"AWWWWW I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!" Sage shrieked.

"Too bad," Victor said then gave his maniacal laugh. Just then I felt something buzz in my pocket. My phone was ringing. I looked at the screen and it said I had one new message. Well it never hurt to look at a text message before you possibly die. I opened the message and read.

**Use the ring; it's the only thing that can save you now.**

** -Natalia**

I forgot that I had the ring clutched in my other hand all this time. I looked at it with a grim look. I didn't trust Natalia but what choice did I have?

I slid the ring onto my index finger and watched in awe as light exploded from the ruby…

**Author's Note: Yay! Cliffhanger! I really liked this chapter but I'm sorry if it's too short and there are a lot of grammar errors but you know the chapter is still awesome and dang it people review! I know there is a good sum of you that read this so show your support and if you have nothing nice to say about this story than don't say it all! Positive review!**

**P.S.- I'm thinking about changing the title of the story and I have an idea of what I'm changing it to but I would like to hear what you think the title should be.**

**-J.J.**


	10. Trouble, Trouble, Love?

**Chapter 10: Trouble, Trouble, Love?**

I was almost blinded by the excruciating light that was projected from the ring. All my senses were trained on it as it turned the world around me into a white glow, covering the world so that I seem to exist in a blank universe

I'm surprised that the light didn't burn my skin but all I felt was a warm glow that actually felt comfortable. I thought I heard voices around me but I couldn't comprehend what they were saying.

The light shined for what seem to be an eternity when in actuality it probably only lasted a couple minutes. When the ring stopped glowing I was brought back to the real world and my senses returned to normal.

"Am I alive?" Sage asked wearily.

"Don't worry you're okay and well and alive," Ellie said just as weary.

"Where did Victor and his friends go?" Sage asked.

"They ran off, the light must have scared them away," Christa said. As everyone surveyed the area we were surprised by the amount smoke and fried grass on Christa's lawn. Actually I'm pretty sure there was more ash than there was soil.

"If anyone asks, " Sage said with a grin, "your lawnmower exploded."

"More like five lawnmowers exploded," Christa said.

"I think one of those wizards blew up my homework," Sage complained.

"I'll call you in absent tomorrow," Ellie said.

"Anyway, great job Nessie! You saved the day!" Sage said then stretched out her hand for a high five.

I was about to give her a high five but as I raised my hand, I was hit by an onslaught of nausea and vertigo. I started trembling where I stood and my knees buckled I fell on them.

"Are you okay?" Everyone else said simultaneously. I didn't have time to answer because my vision faded and I was quickly submerged into unconsciousness.

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><p>I woke up before my eyes opened. I registered that I was lying on a couch and from the feel of it it felt like I slept on Christa's worn out, lavender-scented couch, wrapped in a knitted blanket and a feathery pillow.<p>

For the first few minutes after I woke up, I couldn't remember anything except that there was a white glow somewhere in my memory. I peeked my eyes open a bit and scanned the room around me. All seemed normal in the cabin of a witch and the living room looked spotless.

I felt my hands wound up under the pillow and I gently slid them out where I could see them. It was then that I noticed I was still wearing dazzling red ruby and my eyes popped open. My memory from not that long ago came back to me.

"She's awake," I heard Ellie squeal. I looked up and noticed Ellie sitting across from me in wooden chair. She looked like she had been sitting there for a while, probably to watch me. Well that was nice of her.

Just then Sage and Christa came skidding into the room with identical worried looks on their faces.

"How are you?" Christa asked.

"Tired. Did what happening actually happen?"

"Yep, by the way I convinced your mom into letting you sleep over. I didn't know how long you would be out so I thought I would just keep you here in case you were effected by some of the magic. Though I think your mom is starting to get suspicious of your spontaneous naps."

"She'll get over it."

"Which means we get to have a sleepover party!" Sage said, the worried look on her face had been replaced with happiness.

"Don't you two have to get home?" Christa said.

"Well we aren't going to school tomorrow so why not just hang around here? You have another couch and bed," Ellie said with a smile.

"Fine. You guys can stay over." Ellie and Sage gave each other high fives and started calling dibs on who would sleep where.

"So anything interesting happen while I was sleeping?" I asked

"Nothing much, Ellie watched you, I made tea, Charlie came over-"

"Charlie came over? Are you crazy?" I said incredulously and turned to look out the window to the front lawn but was surprised that the lawn looked flawless instead of looking like a battlefield.

"But…wasn't there…" I said but trailed off.

"Oh don't worry, a little hour of sprinkling magic and voila! The lawn looked normal again and anything in the house that got wrecked I threw out."

"Oh, so what did you do with Charlie?" I asked going back to talking nonchalantly.

"Oh you know we just talked and apparently Charlie's holding a little party next Saturday. It's going to be for that policeman that got shot and their celebrating him getting out of the hospital."

"And we're invited?"

"Of course, I'm even allowed to bring allowed Ellie and Sage! Your family is also invited though I'm not sure if all of you are going though."

I looked to see where Sage and Ellie were in case they were close by. They seemed to be in Christa's room going through her pajamas looking for something they could wear. Good, I didn't want them to overhear what I was about to say.

"Ellie and Sage won't notice that my family members are vampires, will they?" I asked in a whispered voice.

"No," Christa replied in the same whispered tone, "Only witches like me that are part of the Lacertosus can actually sense other supernatural creatures, the other classes below us can't. If Sage and Ellie see a person without crimson or black eyes then they won't suspect that person of being a vampire. And since all the natives around here are pale your family blends in nicely. Basically Ellie and Sage tell the supernatural apart from the humans by appearance and your family seems to blend in with the way humans look so they're fine."

"What about the Wolves? Charlie is definitely going to invite a few of them."

"Oh please, the Wolves are just muscular, young men. Sage and Ellie will be drooling over them more than they will be interrogating them."

I smiled but then I remembered something Natalia had said to me. "Hey Christa, did Ellie and Sage have any problems or fights with a vampire or a werewolf?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."

"Well," Christa said, "Sage once told me about a time just a year after she was turned into a witch that she was attacked by a vampire. She was twelve I think and she had wandered away from her witch clan-the witch clan that Lucille took her from-and she came upon what she thought was a beggar."

"She was living in Australia; the homeless population was quite big at the time, and maybe still is, so it wasn't strange if you saw someone homeless every now and then. Sage was in a desert just outside the city of Alice Springs. She was just wandering aimlessly trying to find a place to practice her magic without being noticed."

"When she was about to practice she heard someone moaning. Sage looked around and noticed a dirty man with ripped clothes yelping in pain beside a couple of boulders. Sage the sweat heart she was hated seeing vagrants in such misery and wanted to offer the vagrant some food and maybe a place to stay."

"As she got closer to the man he noticed her and called out for help. When she reached him she automatically lent him a hand. He told her that he was thirsty and needed something to drink _badly."_

"He turned his face toward her and Sage noticed how his skin shimmered off the Australia sun and immediately backed away from him. She also noticed that his eyes were pitch and he was looking at her funny. He was a vampire and Sage was the unlucky victim."

"The next part gets a bit gory so I won't go into full detail but Sage and the vampire battled it out. Eventually Sage's clan came looking for her and killed the vampire attacking her. Sage wasn't bitten but she was badly injured and it took a lot of magic to fix her."

"Poor Sage…and she was just 12!" I said sympathetically.

"It's sad a similar thing happened to Ellie though much worse," Christa said.

"What happened to Ellie?"

"Like I said the story is similar," Christa said, "But one night when Ellie was fifteen, almost two years before I left, she was attacked by both a vampire and a Child of the Moon. It's actually a rarity that this happens. You're aware of the Volturi's laws, right?" I nodded.

Christa continued, "Well not everyone is loyal to their leader so sometimes a vampire will do something to oppose the Volturi-to show that the Volturi can't control them-so sometimes a vampire will look for a Child of the Moon, or werewolf, and then purposely travel with them and protect them against the Volturi."

"So one night Ellie was at a pharmacy getting something-I forget what, if I try to think about I keep saying that it wasn't worth what was about to happen next-and she was walking home."

"All of the sudden, the streets and sidewalk were clear with no person, car, or building insight. Ellie told me that there were no streetlights; the only thing lighting her way was the glistening full moon. She was just walking on the sidewalk when out of nowhere he pounced on her. It was a vampire, thankfully a weak one that Ellie managed to get away from my confusing it with her magic."

"Ellie ran into the woods, but that was where the werewolf was waiting for her. She managed to run half a mile before the werewolf caught up to her. The werewolf was worse than the vampire. It managed to grab on to Ellie's foot with its sharp teeth and dragged her back to the vampire. They ganged up on her leaving her much more bruised and bleeding than Sage was.

"Luckily Ellie was strong enough to try and fight and she screamed loud enough for us to hear a mile away. Everyone came after her and we managed to kill the vampire but the werewolf got away. The werewolf stalked Ellie after that and sent her threatening messages so we had to move away. We never saw him again and if we do he isn't going to get away."

"It was interesting though. When we were bandaging Ellie, it was the first time that I had seen Tiffany be so nice to her own sister, regretting every mean thing she had done to Ellie. And Lucille, it was the first time I saw her hold Ellie for longer than ten seconds. She incessantly hugged Ellie and begged her to stay alive. We were all depressed about Ellie but they were the most."

"Sage and Ellie are both now terrified of vampires but Ellie is also scared dogs and wolves and I think she goes a bit crazy every time she sees a full moon.

"Any other scary stories you want to hear?" Christa asked concluding Ellie's story.

"How do you tell stories with such detail even though you weren't there?" I asked.

"Ellie and Sage are descriptive tellers and I picked up a few things they hinted," Christa explained.

"So," Sage said coming up from behind Christa, "I heard you talking about us. What did you say?"

"Oh you know, just about how awesome you and Ellie are," Christa said sarcastically.

"Of course," Sage said and we all laughed though laughs turned into yawns and I felt my eyelids get droopy.

"You're tired already kid?" Sage asked.

"Yes I guess I'm really drained from what happened today," I said and started making my way towards the couch.

"Goodnight," Everyone said in unison. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

* * *

><p>I watched and smiled as Nessie landed face first into the pillow. I could hear her light snores already and I giggled. That kid was really cute; I think I might steal her from Christa one of these days.<p>

"Sage," I heard Ellie say my name, "Do you want to get ready for bed as well?"

Before I could reply the doorbell chimed that someone was hear.

"It's eight o' clock at night, can't people just wait until the morning to bother me," Christa grunted and I giggled while fiddling with my long braid. Christa opened the door to three large Native American boys. I think I remember Christa telling me that the Native Americans here were called Quileute or something.

"What's up Jake?" Christa said to the boy in front.

"I just brought over Nessie's stuff," he said giving Christa the over-sized duffle, bag in his hands. He peered into the house and noticed Nessie sleeping lazily on the couch.

"She's asleep already?" Jake asked incredulously.

"You just missed it, she feinted into the couch literally five seconds ago," I said and I heard one of the boys at the door chuckle. I turned to look at the boy and he turned to look at me.

And then it was like something in the air exploded that only me and this boy seemed to notice. I had never met this boy but I felt like I did and for some reason it made my heart go wild. We stared at each other blissfully while everyone else seemed to be oblivious to our connection."

"Come on guys lets go," Jake said and went out the door along with the other boy in the doorway while _my_ beautiful boy hesitated then walked slowly out the door while watched me the entire way. My heart seemed to cry as he left. Oh, I didn't veen know his name…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: In case you didn't know, yes, a Quileute wolf imprinted on Sage. No, I will not tell you who…yet. Please review! I also wanted to ask if anyone had any suggestions for the new title of this story (in case you didn't know I'm changing because it kind of sounds corny) and I want to hear your opinions on the new characters like Christa and Sage because I can't write about them if you don't like them. And did I say to review? I did, too bad! REVIEW!<strong>

**-J.J.**


	11. If I Looked A Little Closer

**Chapter 11: If I Looked A Little Closer**

**Emergency Author's Note: WWWWWAAAAAIIIIIIIIIITTTTTT! Before you completely skip over this Author's Note, I have a new title for the story. The new story title is ****The Nessie Ventures, Book 1: The Witch Apprentice ****so remember!**

* * *

><p>"Renesmee," Aunt Christa said trying to wake me up, "Time to wake up!"<p>

I pouted and pulled the blanket over my head to try to ignore Christa's shoves to wake me up.

"You can't under there forever," Christa said and nudged me further and I grumbled.

"Did I mention I made eggs?" I peeked out under the covers to look at Christa and well enough I could smell the eggs she cooked on her.

"Are they scrambled or sunny-side-up?"

"Sunny-side-up."

"Okay fine you win," I said then pushed myself eagerly off the couch and skipped towards the kitchen. When I got into the kitchen, there and behold, were the eggs Christa had promised though she had made a ton of them. I counted twelve eggs on two large plates.

"Why'd you make so many eggs," I asked Christa as she came into the kitchen.

"The eggs aren't just for you. In case you haven't noticed we still have guests," Christa said and then pointed to the door that led to her bedroom where I'm guessing Christa and Sage had decided to sleep.

"There's also toast and bacon over on the other counter," Christa said. I ignored the toast but took a slice of bacon and then took a large plate of six eggs (which deserved an eye roll from Christa) and started to chow down. Somewhere while I was eating, Sage literally bounced into the kitchen.

"Gooooood Mourniiiinnnng!" Sage said in a loud singsong tone, someone was happy.

"Um…hello Sage. Are you always this hyper in the morning?" Christa asked.

"Well no," Sage said and then looked embarrassed and blushed, "I mean I'm like this some days but not all days because I'm usually tired in the morning and, um, I'm usually still sleeping right now but I couldn't get any sleep last night because I was thinking really hard about something. Not anything that you need to worry about it was just about someone that I'll probably never meet again unless fate wants to bring us together but you know this probably happens a lot to a lot of people and I should really stop thinking about this guy…" I got lost in Sage's rambling and just decided to continue to eat my eggs while Sage just kept talking.

"Sounds like someone has a crush," Christa said and I snapped my head to back at Sage.

"No, no, that's silly. Anyway we should be focusing on Victor right now," Sage said but was still blushing heavily. I ate while Christa and Sage continued to have a conversation

"What about him?"

"Well we could start by tracking Victor to where he fled."

"Sounds like a good idea, we could also see if any of his minions left anything important behind."

"Alright lets-" Sage was cut off by the sound of the doorbell chiming

"I'll get it," Christa said at the same time I said, "Who in the world could that be?"

I heard Christa open the front door with a sound of shock and the greetings of two familiar voices.

"Nessie," Christa said, "Your aunts are here." I skipped to the front door and well and behold were Aunt Alice with her charming smile and notable shortness and Aunt Rosie with her head held high giving me a small smile.

"Hello, you two are early," I noted.

"We know, it's just that were going somewhere and we need to go early and we thought we would bring you along," Alice said cryptically. I looked at the wall clock on Christa's living room wall and noticed it said nine 'o seven.

"Oh okay let me get my stuff then-"

"It's okay, I packed your stuff while you were sleeping," Christa said.

"Sorry if we are waking you up so early, Christa," Aunt Rosie said.

"It's no problem. Thank you for letting her stay over," Christa said politely.

"Thank you for taking care of her," Aunt Rosie said and actual gave a genuine smile. "Well come on now, Nessie, let's go!"

I said goodbye to Christa and walked out the door with Aunt Alice and Aunt Rosie to Aunt Rosie's red BMW. One we were in the car I started firing questions at them.

"So where are we going?" I asked

"Where else? To the mall!" Alice said gleefully.

"Why?"

"Because you need new clothing. My goodness, I think that's the fourth time I've seen you wear that shirt!" Alice pointed to my wavy red blouse.

"Your clothing is also looking a bit small on you," Aunt Rosie noted.

"I guess they have…" I said when I realized that my red blouse used to go way below my waist but now just revealed a bit of my stomach. I guess I am growing up really fast; I should really treasure my childhood more often. I may just look fourteen soon enough.

I talked with Aunt Alice and Rosie a bit more, mostly about my sleepover. I got confused though when Aunt Rosie pulled up into the driveway of our home.

"What are we doing here?"

"Well your Aunt Rosalie forgot to bring our $100 T. J. Maxx gift card with us!" Aunt Alice said then narrowed her eyes at Aunt Rosie.

"I didn't forget it, you were supposed to bring it!" Aunt Rosie said right back at Alice and Alice stuck out her tongue.

"You also need to change your clothes. I can tell you slept in them last night," Aunt Rosie said and frowned at my blouse (that I now realized was wrinkled from sleeping in it) and my skirt that still had a bit of dust around the hem from the battle yesterday.

"I was just really tired yesterday."

"You seem to be really tired lately. What do you do at Christa's house that makes you so exhausted?"

"Nothing, I guess the sleepiness is just a side effect of growing up." Aunt Rosie speculated me for a second but then shrugged and mumbled in agreement. Aunt Rosie and Alice fled out of the car and into the house at abnormal speed before I could say, "Wait for me!" I got out of the car and trudged after them but stopped when I heard arguing in the woods.

I moved close to the arguing voices while also being as quiet as possible so not to disturb them. I peeked around the corner of the house and saw Leah and Jacob in a heated altercation.

"He did what?" Jacob yelled.

"Don't act like you didn't hear me," Leah said back snidely.

"But how?"

"I don't know I was just patrolling through the woods when I picked up on his thoughts and heard him talk ridiculously about a girl. He hasn't shut up about her since."

"Do you know who she is?"

"No," Leah said then scowled, "But I think I remember him saying that he saw this girl at Chri-" Leah paused when she saw me peeking at them from around the corner of the house.

"What?" Jacob said then turned to where I was standing and went bug-eyed when he saw me.

"Hi," I said then gave an awkward wave at the two of them.

"Nessie, how long have you been standing there?" Jacob said nervously.

"Since a couple sentences ago," I said then turned towards the front door of the house, "I'll leave you two to finish your conversation." I skidded to the front door then.

Once I was inside I ran upstairs to my bedroom and locked the door (My family had created a second bedroom for me in the main house in case I wanted to stay here for a bit). I opened me drawer and shuffled though some clothing; both trying to find an outfit to wear that still fit me and to get Leah's and Jacob's conversation out of my head. I tried not to think about what they were saying because it was rude to get into other people's business but I couldn't help but wonder who this person was and why it would bother them if he was (by the sound of it) in love.

I found a floral pink shirt and blue jeans to wear that would appease my aunts and left my room. I headed downstairs hoping to find my aunts waiting for me…only to find Jacob.

"Hey Nessie," Jake said trying to be casual.

"Hey Jake," I said, "I'm sorry if you and Leah were having a private conversation when I was eavesdropping."

"It's fine," Jake said then gave his signature smile, "So how was the sleepover?"

"It was good, we had fun."

"I noticed you and Christa had some company."

"You were there?"

"I came by to drop off your stuff, so are they friends of Christa's?"

I stumbled to come up with a story for Sage and Ellie so I just blabbed the first thing that came to my head, "The blond haired girl is Ellie and she's Christa's old friend and the other girl with the long braid is Sage and she's…Ellie's…cousin. She's her cousin but she's also a good friend." I smiled but on the inside I felt like an idiot for seeming like such a bad liar.

"Cool," Jacob said and I relaxed when he seemed to believe me, "So what are they like?"

"Well Ellie is really sweet, polite, and smart and Sage is really hyper and happy."

"Hyper and happy, huh?" Jacob said as if he only cared about the last part of my sentence.

"And maybe a bit sarcastic and funny though all around she's like a human proton," I added.

"Hmm, she seems nice. Does she live nearby?"

"No, not really but her and Ellie go to Christa's house everyday afterschool and on the weekends. Anyway, why do you care so much about Christa?"

"Oh no reason, I was just curious because she seemed like an interesting person." I speculated Jacob a minute to see if I could find some sort of blush under Jacob's dark features but found none. I was about to question him more until Aunt Alice and Aunt Rosie cam sauntering into the room.

"Are you ready to go Nessie?" asked Aunt Alice.

"Um yes just let me get my money-" I was interrupted by Aunt Rosie scoffing and Aunt Alice giggling.

"You don't have to be so nice Renesmee," Aunt Rosie said, "We'll handle it besides you probably don't have that much money anyway."

I sighed grimly at Aunt Rosie's words but continued to smile; "Well I guess we'll be on our way then."

"Then lets go before the mall gets mobbed; even vampires can't avoid a mall with crowds," Aunt Alice said with mocked irritation.

I was about to turn to say goodbye to Jacob but he had already left…

* * *

><p>Aunt Rosie and Alice had dragged me to at least nineteen different stores. We started at Justice, then continued to Abercrombie, then continued to Macy's, then to Abercrombie and Fitch, then to Forever 21, then to a couple other stores, and finally ended at Alice's precious T. J. Maxx.<p>

We had to keep making trips back and forth to the car because of how much clothing we got (I'm surprised we managed to fit so many bags into one car, much less one trunk). I had never gone on such a shopping spree in my life and I vowed never again would I allow my aunts to drag me around a mall. I could now see why my mom ran to the hills whenever one of my aunts said the words "new" and "clothing" in the same sentence.

Aunt Rosie and Alice finally decided after visiting so many stores to take a break at a Starbucks in the mall, much to my delight. I gave an exaggerated groan when we sat down at a small table.

"Nineteen stores and we only bought clothing for me," I said and gave another exaggerated groan.

"Well we do have to buy you an entire new wardrobe," Aunt Rosie said.

"We actually went to twenty stores if you were really counting," Aunt Alice said lightly and I gave her an even more incredulous look.

"So what do you want to eat?" Alice said.

"I'll have a hot chocolate and the largest food source they have."

"Perfect, and Rosalie and I will "have" black coffee each." Alice then skipped over to the massive line at the Starbuck's café not looking the least bit annoyed as some of the other people on line.

"Can I talk to you?" Aunt Rosie said to me.

"You can talk to me anytime." I gave Aunt Rosie a warm smile.

"Do you love me?" I was surprised when Aunt Rosie actually looked sincere when saying it.

"Of course, what would make you think different?"

"It's nothing, it's just that you've been spending much more time with your Aunt Christa then with me…or your Aunt Alice or Uncle Emmett or really anyone in this family. You've been neglecting us."

"Well," I racked my brain to find a reason that didn't have "witch apprentice" in it and finally found something good to say this time, "You see I'll have you guys forever and I'll have all the time in the world to spend with you guys, but my time with Aunt Christa is limited. Soon enough we'll have to move away and I won't ever be able to see her again ever so I'm cherishing my time with her." I was surprised by how genuine my words seemed to be.

"But won't it be hard when you finally have to let her go when you two have become so bonded?"

"It'll be harder if I distance myself from her and then wonder for the rest of my life of all the good memories we could have had."

"I see," Aunt Rosie said then leaned back in her chair as if to contemplate about something. I reached my hand over to put it on top of her colder, icier hand and smiled.

"I love you," I said. Aunt Rosie looked up and squeezed my hand with hers.

"I love you more," she said.

"And you say that your life is so horrible." Aunt Rosie giggled at my words.

"Maybe it's not all that bad," Aunt Rosie said with a small smile. There was a very small part of Aunt Rosie and that part was very kind and hospitable and motherly and wonderful in every way. Though like I said it was very small and you rarely ever see it and I think only Uncle Emmett and me have ever witnessed it.

Soon enough, Alice came back with food and drinks; two coffees for her and Aunt Rosie and a hot chocolate, a muffin, and two croissants for me. I ate happily with them until I began to ponder on my previous words about Christa.

What was going to happen when we had to leave? I had to stay with my family but I was also Christa's apprentice, for the time being, and I couldn't abandon her. And Christa was immortal and so were my family and so were Jacob and the wolves; forever is a long time to keep a secret and it was only a matter of time before Christa was discovered. Unless Christa went into hiding, but then again forever is a long time to hide. Should I just tell everyone now before fate reveals it in a crueler way? No, I couldn't betray Christa like that. But still I'm just prolonging the inevitable.

Halfway through my meal, I pushed my food away saying I wasn't hungry anymore and I wanted to go home which my aunts happily obliged to.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Yay I finally get to post this earlier! Sorry if it may seem that this chapter is boring, I didn't have this chapter that well-planned out. Sorry if you don't like it! And while I'm apologizing I'm sorry about my horrible grammar. I NEED A NEW BETA! Anyway…I'm reaching the climax of my story within the next couple chapters and don't worry I'm making a sequel! If you didn't catch the name of the new title for the story it's up top.<strong>

**-J.J.**


	12. Track or be Caught

**Chapter 12: Track or be Caught**

"Who in the world needs so much clothing?" Jacob asked incredulously.

"The girl who grows out of her clothing every two months," I replied.

"So shouldn't the girl just get like five or six outfits every two months."

"But then her clothing would wear out before she even grew out of them."

"No it wouldn't."

"Says the boy who only wears pants, and a shirt when it he feels like it." My little comment earned a snort from Jacob.

"Though this doesn't mean I'm ever going mass shopping with Aunt Alice or Rosie again," I said then gave a small groan at how my feet were still aching two days after shopping. I was walking to and from my walk-in closet taking all my old clothing and tossing them to Jacob who then put them into garbage bags.

It was a routine

"Don't you have homeschool right now?" Jacob asked.

"Nope, don't you know? It's a snow day!" I said then gestured to the snow falling outside the window.

"When is it _not_ a snow day?"

"My snow days correspond with the snow days at the public schools, so whenever the schools have a snow day I have a snow day!"

"What's that on the window?" Jacob asked a pointed to the window right behind. When I looked a little closer I noticed a pink post-it on the window outside. I opened the window despite the blizzard outside and snatched the post-it and slammed the window shut. The post-it was slightly wet which almost made the writing on it illegible. I looked closer at the writing on the post-it and decided to read the squished paragraph:

_Hey! You didn't forget me now did you? Oh whatever, how do you like my ring? It always had that extra gleam to it if you know what I mean. Though I can't let you keep it. I need it back. Soon .You better give it back. Besides, all good friends return what they borrow. See you soon, my little Rennie._

_ -Natalia_

"Nessie," Jacob said, "Are you okay?"

When I looked down I noticed that my hands were shaking and that the note was crumpling in my hands. I threw the post-it message in the garbage and continued passing clothes to Jacob.

"Nessie What did it say?" Jacob insisted.

"It said nothing."

"So why were you shaking?"

"I'm just cold okay? I got a little bit of snow on me." I didn't turn to look at Jacob, I just continued to throw clothes in his direction but I didn't hear the sound of him catching them. It was only a few seconds later that I felt large arms wrap around and nearly suffocate me to death.

"Jacob, what are you doing?"

"You said you were cold so I'm giving you a hug."

"Let go you're suffocating me!"

"You sure you're warm?"

"Yes!"

"You sure you won't yell at me anymore?"

"Yes! I'm dying!" With that Jacob finally let me go and I took a big gasp of air and then fell to the floor. I looked up to see Jacob rolling his eyes.

"You're such a drama queen. I don't I hug you that hard." I was about to protest but I heard a sharp gasp coming from the living room. When I tried to look at Jacob he was already leaving the room readyto investigate the noise. I followed Jacob and found in the living room my mom holding the newspaper with a hand over her mouth with my dad rubbing her shoulder as if he was trying to soothe her.

"What's going on?" Jacob asked.

My mom seemed to be to stunned for words so my dad answered for her, "There's been another attack on the police."

"Who got hurt?"

"Two police officers were stabbed in the stomach. It wasn't as bad as a bullet wound but they're going to need some operating."

"And Charlie…" My mom said choking on her words.

"Charlie is fine," My father finished for her.

"Who would do such a thing?" My mom asked to no one in particular.

"It's probably that bloodsucker we've been hunting," Jacob said grudgingly, "I swear when I find it I'm going to…" Jacob looked at me and stopped whatever he was going to say.

"Oh please I can handle gore. I'm almost physically thirteen."

"Anyway," My dad said, "It wasn't a vampire; vampires wouldn't use a knife and why would a vampire just stab somebody and run?"

"You're probably right, Dad," I said and tried to keep a poker face. I had pretty good feeling of who the culprit was…

"Okay, Nessie, who do you think did it then?" Jacob asked as if he could read my thoughts.

"Well," I said, "It was probably just some gang trying to be funny. They'll be caught soon enough." _Or killed…_

"Knives and guns aren't funny, Nessie," My dad said sternly.

"Whatever the intention, it was probably some aspersive humans."

"That would make sense."

"So how do we catch them?" Jacob asked.

"We?" I asked.

"Well we have to do something!"

"How about we see if the police have a good trace on them."

"They don't," My mom whispered.

"We can't interfere," My dad interjected.

"Why not?"

"We'll risk revealing ourselves, especially with human criminals."

There was a silence then as everyone took in the information. Even if the criminals were human, we couldn't just dump them at the police station. They would point fingers at us, not that anyone would believe what tale they told about us, but people were already suspicious of the Cullens and it was too risky to raise those suspicions.

"So what do we do?" My mother asked quietly.

"We could leave an anonymous tip on what we already know," My dad said.

"What we already know?" I asked.

"We tracked these felons from a couple different places; the post office, some places in the forest, a Shop Rite in Port Angelus…though of course that doesn't really lead the police anywhere."

"We'll do a bit more tracking and leave the rest for the police to handle," Jacob said.

"If only we knew what kind of people we're dealing with," My mother said pensively and I had to suppress the urge to tell her that they weren't dealing with humans at all…

* * *

><p>I gave a sharp knock on Christa's door to let her know she had important company. I had asked my mom not too long after the debate to drop me off earlier than usual to a time when Sage and Ellie would still be at their private school in Oregon.<p>

I still had no idea what I was going to do with my family, I mean it was nice that they were helping but if they just got a bit too involved then they might pick up on something they shouldn't know.

Like a clan of vengeful wizards…

Christa had answered not two seconds later after I knocked and looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Well…you're early," She acknowledged.

"Christa there's something really important I have to tell you about Victor."

"So why didn't you wait for Ellie and Sage to come by-"

"It also involves my family," I said cutting her off. Christa then took me by the arm and led me to the living room while slowly closing the front door.

"Has he hurt your family?" Christa asked.

"No, but my family…they're on to him." When I looked at Christa I noticed that her jaw was clenched and that her eyes were on the verge of popping out.

"How much do they know?"

"Not much, just a couple places that Victor and his clan have been to but they want to track him a bit more and give whatever little they know to the police."

"We have to stop Victor and his clan fast."

"First we have to find him, have you gotten any leads?"

"We found a couple of his trails and we found some ripped-off bits of his companions' clothing from the battle so we can start tracking them. We think Victor is hiding somewhere in Forks."

When Christa said that Victor was living in Forks, something clicked in my head.

"Christa, did you check the police station for tracks?"

"Yes, there are none."

"Have you checked Charlie's house?"

"No…," Said Christa and suddenly she suddenly got what I was trying to say.

"Is it possible that…Victor is just giving random blows to police officers to distract us? What if he has been doing stuff to Charlie all along and he's been sending his minions to try and toy with us?"

"That would explain why I can't find Victor's tracks at the crime scenes anymore."

"What if he's hurting Charlie right now?" As soon as the thought came out of my mouth Christa scrambled to get her phone out of her pocket and started dialing Charlie's number. I could hear her phone call go to Charlie's voice mail and so she dialed again only to get his voice mail a second time.

"You said he can't hurt Charlie without the orb, right?"

"I said he couldn't kill Charlie without the orb. Come on, Nessie we got to go." Christa dragged me by my arm and slammed the front door open-

-Only to find Jericho standing there with a bewildered expression.

"Well, well, well, what perfect timing. We were just talking about Victor and his atrocious minions."

Jericho had a deadpan expression and shifted uncomfortably at the weight of Christa's glare.

"I came here to warn you," Jericho said nonchalantly.

"Victor doesn't need to send messengers; tell him if he wants to say something, say-"

"I came here on my own will. Victor doesn't know I'm here," Jericho said interrupting Christa.

"Well then," Christa said more calmly but did not relax her pose, "What is it you wish to tell us?"

"Victor is assembling an onslaught for your father and you. If you give up now, Victor is thinking of sparing you."

"You'll have to kill me if you ever want to touch one of my family members."

"Your attempts at trying to destroy Victor are futile and suicidal and you're bringing in some people that don't need to be in this," Jericho said then motioned his hand toward me.

"I didn't ask them, they volunteered and if you hurt one of us you hurt all of us," Christa said then squeezed my hand.

"Victor is powerful."

"So am I."

"I knew trying to warn would be pointless, but I just didn't to see innocents people like you get hurt." And with that Jericho turned around and started walking away, but not until Christa caught up to him.

"Where do you think you're going?" Christa said the question as spiteful as she could and she wrapped her arm around his like an anaconda to its prey.

"I need to leave now before something worse happens." Jericho tried to get out of Christa's grasp but some visible magical force that Christa must have summoned kept him from escaping her.

"That's not how war works," Christa said with a cocky smile, "You have information we need. You're not going anywhere."

I was a little bit surprised at the evil tone in Christa's voice but I had to smile at her audacity. At least we were getting somewhere now.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I know this chapter is a day late and I'M SORRY! I give you all cyber hugs of apology. Long story short, I had an unwanted camping trip with some hyper 5<strong>**th**** graders and came down with a nasty cold. I now it kind of sounds ridiculous but it's the best way I can explain it within a sentence and not a chapter. I hope I get better and I hope you enjoy what's to come! And remember to press the little blue button below! See you next week!**

**P.S.- If you forgot about the orb, you might want to read some of the beginning chapters again.**

**-J.J.**


	13. Fighting is Never the Answer

**Chapter 13: Fighting is Never the Answer**

_Leah_

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked. Jacob turned around at the sound of my bitter question and actually shot me a glare. Wait; did he just glare at me? He seemed happy about five seconds ago. What is it about me that makes people so ticked off?

"Leah," Jacob said my name as if it were a curse word (which I'm quite used to), "We have to start tracking the enemy before it hurts more people."

"It?" I raised an eyebrow, "I thought we were tracking humans."

Jacob got closer to me then, as if he were trying to tell me some important secret, "I don't care what the Cullen's or the police say; what we tracking ain't human. I think it's been that bloodsucker causing trouble lately." I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, come one!" Jacob exclaimed, "Don't tell me you haven't been thinking it hasn't been that leech. There's been a vampire killing off hikers like there is no tomorrow and all of a sudden somebody is killing off the police force, am I the only one who thinks that's suspicious?"

"Then why are we tracking multiple scents for one vamp?"

"Leeches can have friends."

"The scents don't even resemble the bloodsucker's stench."

"Maybe the leech is masking its scent."

"With what, cologne? Perfume?"

"I don't know but what we're tracking just isn't human!"

"Hey maybe we're tracking a _real_ werewolf this time! Maybe we should introduce ourselves as its cousins!" I laughed at me own little joke while Jacob continued to stand there with a grimace.

"I'm serious Leah."

"Oh I know."

"Man, why can't you ever take me seriously?"

"I do take you seriously, just not always. And would you quit being so loud! Do you want Nessie to overhear us again?"

Jacob's grimace got worse at the memory last week of Nessie eavesdropping on their conversation and almost exposing imprinting to her. "Nessie isn't here, she's with Christa."

"You said that the last time," I said irritated and then something hit me, "She's always over there."

"What?"

"She's always over there. Nessie has been spending an awful amount of time with Christa. Maybe she's finally getting bored of you, Jakey," I said with mock sincerity and even went as far as to use Nessie's nickname for Jacob when she was a baby.

"You think you're funny Leah, don't you?"

"Gotta keep myself entertained somehow."

"Well whatever."

"You know Jake," I said, "I don't think it's natural to spend so much time with someone. Maybe she's trying to hunt for the bloodsucker and Christa is covering for her."

"No way, Nessie knows better then to try and hunt a parasite on her own! She could get killed!" Even though Jacob didn't seem to believe me, his eyes scanned through the forest for a fraction of a second.

"I'm just messing with you. Back to where we were before."

"Back to tracking the vampire," Jacob's grimace turned into a grin, "Or back to the imprint?"

"Oh don't remind me. Score: Imprints - 6, My Love Life - -1."

"I thought you'd be happy for him."

"I am…sort of. I just…oh I don't know. I want to be happy for him, but the more wolves that imprint, the more I'm less likely to have an imprint, you know?"

"Leah, there are plenty of other wolves who haven't imprinted yet."

"Well then they are either too young to imprint or are going to be forever alone like me."

"You shouldn't be so pessimistic. Maybe you're meant to fall in love."

"Only bonds like imprinting could keep some fool from running away from the she wolf." With that I sank to the ground and bowed my head in shame. I could feel Jacob lean beside me and nudge my stomach with his elbow.

"Hey," He said, "You know Leah, when you don't put on your sour face, you're actually one of the best people I know. When I first kept let you into the pack I kept you because you were an asset but now I keep you because you're my friend. You're like a sister to the entire pack. And if any loser thinks you're not good enough to date then he's going to face the wrath of the Black Pack!"

"Thanks. That was the nicest thing anybody has said to me in a long time," I said with actual sincerity-which I haven't used in a long time. And I had to admit (to myself) that Jacob was a great leader, that I didn't mind being in a pack with my brother, and that as goofy and as stupid as Quil and Embry could be they were still great friends to have.

I stood back up, "Come on Jacob. We have a bloodsucker that needs to be killed pronto."

"Now that's more like it." And with that Jacob and me fazed into the woods, leaving all the hardships of being human behind and began to run.

_Do you remember what the vampire smelled like? _Jacob thought.

_Yep _I thought back.

_So where do you want to start?_

_North to Canada by Calgary where we last spotted it. _

_Good idea._

_Hey where is the rest of the pack?_

Jacob stopped running abruptly, almost hitting a tree and I stopped too though more agile than him.

_Um…I'll be right back. _Jacob thought and then turned around and headed toward the direction of La Push. I had to resist the urge to face palm, or in this case face paw, at the fact that as great of a leader Jacob could be, than dang man couldn't keep track at his own pack.

As soon as I heard Jacob faze to a human I continued to track without him. We couldn't risk losing the vampire when it was right under our noses.

I ran for a while; not even caring that I was tiring myself out at the speed I was going and probably wouldn't be able to attack the vampire when I finally found it. The only thing I could hear was the birds chirping and the crunching of leaves under my paws.

Soon enough I returned to contemplating about love. Sure I was severely broken hearted when I was young but it was my fault that I never moved on. I mean I've finally moved on from Sam now but I had wasted so much time looking at the closed door (Sam) then trying to look for the open door (a new love).

It had been so long since my last kiss or date or hug that I didn't know if I could ever do those things again.

Maybe I would finally meet my one true love here, right now. Just wandering randomly in the woods waiting for some giant wolf to come and fall in love with him. Because that seemed so legitimate.

I was rudely broken out of my thoughts by someone running in my peripheral vision. Man, I wasn't serious about what I said before about finding someone in the middle of the woods. I was about to continue running when I caught a bloodsucker. _The _bloodsucker.

I let out a menacing growl just to let it know that I meant business, and not the nice kind of business. I scanned my eyes across the forest still growling like a feral monster.

After about ten minutes of scanning and growling without any sort of intrusion I settled that my paranoia was finally getting to me and that the vampire I just sensed was just an allusion.

I continued to run, continuing the crunching of leaves and the scampering of small animals that only my pounding paws brought.

I thought that the vampire was waiting by Calgary. It would be waiting there sucking the life out of some innocent being and totally not be prepared for a wolf attack. I thought that I could end this whole murder fiasco that had been circulating.

That was until I felt nails dig into my back and claw at my neck.

* * *

><p><em>Renesmee<em>

"Okay, talk," Christa commanded harshly at Jericho. Christa had managed to knock the wizard unconscious with some sort of spell then we dragged him into the house (clumsily may I add) and tied him up in a chair with a rope (I have no idea where Christa got it. She just said it was always good to keep some of it around just in case). Christa put a charm on the rope so it wouldn't break or untie if the wizard tried to get away.

We had let Jericho sleep for a while until he woke up, a dreamy look on his face. The look was shattered when he found himself tied up and he immediately started screaming and kicking like his life was on the line, which led Crista to knock him out again. He woke up again and this time he managed to remain silent.

"Are you deaf? Tell me what Victor is planning," Christa demanded again but Jericho kept his mouth a thin line while glaring at Christa.

"This is your last chance before I bring Mr. Baseball Bat out here." He was still silent.

"That's it. Nessie if you look in the closet in the living room you should find my baseball bat."

"Wait, I don't think that's I good idea," I said.

"You're right, we should probably get Mr. Sledge Hammer. He's much more persuasive."

"Christa!" I exclaimed, "There's an easier way to do this." I then turned my attention to the wizard trapped in the chair.

"You don't want this," I said, "I know you're not as loyal as you should be to Victor. I can tell you're uneasy around him and if you really cared about him then you wouldn't have come here. You care more about us because like you said before, we're innocent and you don't want us to die. So please, do what is right, help us stop Victor or a lot more innocent people are going to get hurt."

There was a long pause of silence and the air around us started to cool down from the fury Christa had brought up not too long ago. Thankfully, my words seemed to penetrate through Jericho.

"All right, I'll help you, but only on two conditions," Jericho stated, "1. Just because I'm helping you doesn't mean I'm fighting for you. When the final battle comes between you and Victor-which we all know will happen-I'm not going to protect you. Actually I'll probably help Victor battle you."

"Why would you help someone that you've just betrayed?" I asked but Christa covering my mouth with her hand muffled my voice.

"Done," Christa said evenly.

"And 2. You can't beat me at all. I do not wish to meet Mr. Baseball Bat or Mr. Sledge Hammer. I also wouldn't mind being fed. A dead wizard isn't a very useful one."

"All right," Christa said nonchalantly, "And in return you'll tell us everything we need and you know?"

"For the most part, yes."

"Then I believe we have a deal?"

"Yes." Christa took Jericho's hand that was still bound by the ropes and shook it gently.

"You were right Nessie, that was an easier way to do things."

"Do you mind untying me?" Jericho complained.

"Not yet, first, does Victor need anything from me besides the orb?"

"No, he just needs the orb and then he'll attack."

"Attack who?"

He wants to kill Charlie but he also wants to try and damage the entire police force somehow. Give them all a broken leg or something."

"How quickly will he act one he gets this orb?"

"Quick."

"Where are he and his other followers hiding?"

"I don't know, he never showed us where he lived. He just rented a place in a hotel for us to stay at and then we would meet up somewhere is the forest."

"What hotel?"

"We changed hotels so it would be harder to track us."

"Perfect," Christa grumbled and then walked out of the room.

"Wait," I said, "Was there a certain place in the woods where you met?"

"Yes, in a meadow. It was huge meadow smack in the middle of the woods about a mile or so from the rode. The grass grew a bit tall there and lilies and violets grew all around. Not very specific but that's the best I can remember it.

"I know what you're talking about," I said. _It was my parents' meadow._

I was about to reply when a large banging knock sounded at the door.

"I'll get that," Christa said.

"What about Jericho? What if the person sees him?" I asked.

"Put a blanket over him," Christa said before running towards the door.

"Sorry," I muttered before taking a quilt off the couch and covered Jericho with it. He just muttered something like and "Okay."

"Where is Nessie?" I heard Jacob's voice before Christa could even greet him. I heard large footsteps come padding into the living room. Sure enough when I turned around Jacob was standing staring at me barely even noticing the huge, blanketed bump beside me.

"Nessie, we have to go," he said urgently and took my hand and started dragging me towards the door.

"Is there a problem?" Christa asked when Jacob and me were in the doorway.

"Just a little emergency. You'll find out later," Jacob said quickly and moved us into his car. I gave a little wave to Christa as Jacob pulled out of the driveway and stomped on the gas petal, speeding us down the street.

"What happened?" I asked a bit panicked.

"It's Leah," Jacob choked out.

"Did Leah do something?"

"No, she was just attacked by a vampire and she's pretty badly banged up. Carlisle is working on her right now. Everyone is a little freaked out and your parents asked me to bring you home."

I stared out the car window as I sunk in Jacob's words. Attacked by a vampire? That made no sense…unless…

My body was forced upward a bit as Jacob made a sudden brake in the Cullens' driveway. Jacob got out of the car immediately and I was quick to follow him into the house.

"Renesmee," My mother cried as I walked into the doorway and gave me a comforting hug.

"Is Leah going to be okay?" I asked.

"She'll be fine. Carlisle just finished operating on her. Do you mind that we let her sleep in your bedroom here?"

"No, can I see her?"

"Yes."

"Thank you." I walked upstairs towards my room. Leah and me weren't best friends but she was always cordial towards me and she was probably Jacob's loyalist pack member. I sometimes looked at her like she was my idol which maybe she was. I always appreciated her strength and support for her pack.

As I stepped closer towards me bedroom I noticed Seth, Quil, Embry, and Jacob all slumped against the wall parallel to my bedroom. Seth was visibly crying into his hands while was Quil rubbing his shoulder trying to soothe him. Embry was quiet and huddled in a fetal position looking like he was deep in thought with Jacob padding him on the back. Jacob himself was just half paying attention to his surroundings while looking at the floor sadly. They were all in some melancholic state despite their usual jolly looks.

"Can I go in?" I asked. Jacob nodded.

I opened the door slowly and silently in case Leah was sleeping. Leah laid on my bed unconscious with a pained look on her face. I walked over towards her and noticed the stiches that crisscrossed on her forehead, shoulders, and arms.

_Poor Leah_ I thought. She might not have always been kind but she no way deserved this. She already had enough pain to deal with.

I felt Leah's tanned cheek and noticed that her skin burned a bit hotter than usual. I pulled the blanket that was on top off her a bit off. It was then that I noticed a pink slip of paper sticking out Leah's jeans.

I pulled the slip of paper out and read the little paragraph inscribed on it:

_Aren't you so happy? Now you won't have to worry about your friends trying to go after those perilous wizards. Sorry about your friend, it was for the best and those mutts were starting to annoy me. Maybe I wouldn't have to be so violent if you gave me my ring back. Maybe…_

_ With love,_

_ Natalia_

I dropped the note on the ground and stomped on it with as much force as I could, partially ruining my carpet. I sank to the side of my bed next Leah and began to cry. I didn't care if anybody found me like this, I had a feeling crying around here was going to become more often…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: So here's the new chapter! Just a few more chapters till the big finale! Woohoo! And yes I do hope to make a sequel! And I'm sorry if it feels like I made the orb this huge thing in the beginning of the story and then forgot about it after four chapters (I got sidetracked with the ring) and then it just popping out nowhere just now. I'm also sorry if there are any grammar issues with the chapter. I do my best even though I'm a horrible speller! But despite all my flaws, PLEASE REVIEW! REVIEWS BRING HAPPINESS! And yes I know I'm desperate.<strong>

**P.S. Whenever you see a person's name in italics under a title or line break it's just my way of saying that the section of the story is going to be under the perspective of the person in italics. **

**P.S.S. I NEED A NEW BETA!**

**-J.J.**


	14. Quarreling, Planning, & Flirting

**Chapter 14: Quarrelling, Planning, and Flirting**

_Renesmee_

As I walked out my room where Leah was resting, I heard arguing voices towards the end of the hallway. I turned and looked and saw on one side was Jacob and his remaining pack and on the other side was half my family (Aunt Rosie and Alice, Carlisle, and my father) with my mother somewhere in the middle.

"I told you it was vamp! You didn't believe me and now look what happened," Jacob screeched at the other side of the hallway.

"Are you saying this are fault, dog?" Aunt Rosie questioned sarcastically (she was the only Cullen left that sometimes called the wolves "dogs" or "mutts")

"You should be grateful that we have saved Leah and since when is your vampire hunting our problem?" Aunt Rosie asked again with a sneer this time.

"He didn't mean anything like that Rose," My mother said calmly.

"Besides," Embry chided in, "This vampire is also killing off the police whom _you_ have proclaimed to help. So it is technically your business."

"We still don't know if it's a vampire or not," Carlisle said.

"What other suspects do we have? We have found no human gangs whatsoever or some cereal killer. It has to be a vampire," Jacob pointed out.

"But the scents at the crime scenes don't belong to a vampire," my father retorted back.

"The vampire must have masked it somehow or I don't know maybe it rained and it ruined the scent but whatever is attacking the police force and humans just has to be a vampire."

Then I (who had gone unnoticed the entire altercation) finally piped up with my own words.

"I think Jacob is right. I think it is a vampire," I said. I knew my words weren't true and I knew who the real culprit was but I had to do what was best.

"And what evidence do you have?" Aunt Rosie said sternly to me.

"Well, I'm saying this on more of my own opinion but isn't what happened to Leah evidence enough?" I saw Jacob his pack smile at my back-up while my aunts frowned.

"So what do you say we do with this vampire?" My mom asked.

"I think it should die."

* * *

><p><em>Christa<em>

I watched bemused as Jacob drove off with Nessie in his car. I gave a little wave I wasn't sure if Nessie saw. Whatever the problem was Nessie would tell me. Once they were gone I walked back inside, slowly closing the door, leaving the blanketed wizard and me in my living room.

I pulled off the blanket to find a messy haired boy with an amusing scowl his face. His look all together made me giggle a bit.

"What's so funny?" Jericho asked annoyed.

"You," I said with another giggle. I couldn't resist the urge to try and fix his hair so I pulled out a comb I carried conveniently in my back pocket and started brushing through his hair.

I combed his hair while he stared bewildered at me and smiled when he made a hilariously disgusting face whenever I tried to pull out a knot. Once I was done I admired my work as his hair framed his face perfectly and the light reflected off of his platinum blond hair creating a little halo of light around his head.

He didn't look anything like the boy he truly was.

"Thanks for the hair styling, mum," Jericho said sarcastically.

"Got to keep my prisoners looking fresh," I said with little smile.

"Do you mind if I have a glass of water?" Jericho asked.

"Sure," I replied and left him to go into the kitchen. I half thought about dragging him into the kitchen with me so he didn't escape but thought otherwise. I took to glass cups (one from Jericho and one for me) from the cabinet and poured in some tap water from the sink.

When I came back into the living room sure enough Jericho was pulling at the ropes around his wrists futilely.

"Don't even try to escape. I put an extra spell on those ropes to keep you from leaving," I said with a warning tone in my voice.

"I just thought it would be easier to drink water with two hands," Jericho said innocently.

"No problem. I'll just have to feed you your water," I said and then tipped one of the glasses of water into his mouth. He gulped down the water in response though he continued to fiddle with ropes around him.

"You're not going anywhere," I said warningly.

Jericho gave a crooked smile then said something that made me spit out my own water, "I find that comment somewhat flirtatious."

"Excuse me?" I said disbelievingly.

"You heard me. Do you keep all your boyfriends locked up like this?"

"What makes you even think...you know what? Me flirting with you, in your dreams! You're the one flirting!"

"That depends."

"Depends on what?"

"Is it working?"

"You're pathetic," I said coldly. Despite my harsh words though, the idiot gave me a smug grin. I had every right to smack that grin off his face.

"All right, back to business," I said putting my serious look back on my face, "Who'd you steal the ring from?"

"Ring?"

"The enchanted ruby ring that Victor got from…somebody, and that we found. The one we used to kick your butt before."

"How do you know Victor had it before?"

"We found the ring with his fingerprints on it. So where'd you find it?"

"Okay, okay. Shortly after Victor invited me to join him, he had to go this meeting with some powerful girl he wouldn't tell us about and said he'd slit the throat of whoever tried to follow him. Actually the one thing he told us about this girl is that she had the "secret weapon" that we needed to beat you guys. After an hour, Victor came back from the meeting livid and agitated so I asked him where our "secret weapon" was. He said she wouldn't give it up, but the next morning he was jumping joy with his new toy: a ring with an charmed ruby inside that would solve our problems. You didn't need a brain to know that he stole it."

Jericho paused for a second then continued; "He was the only one to have the ring; he forbid us from touching or even looking at it. He almost beheaded Tom for poking at it-Tom just wanted to see what would happen. Then one day we went to our usual hang out in the meadow so Victor could test out the ring. He tried to shoot out a beam from the ring to hit a tree. It didn't work. He tried a couple more times; still didn't work. I suggested that someone else should try and use it but he just got angry saying that if it couldn't work for him it couldn't work for nobody. I told him to keep it but he didn't listen. He got rid of it somewhere we wouldn't find it. Where did you find it?"

"In a trash can of a bathroom of a bowling alley."

"Well I definitely wouldn't have checked there."

There little conversation was ruined when Christa heard someone open the front door, unannounced, and come sauntering into the living room. She turned around to find both Ellie and Sage putting their school bags down on Christa's carpet, already used to the fact that they came here daily.

"Hey Chri-" Ellie was about greet me but caught off when she saw Jericho sitting down a couple inches from me. Sage turned around then to see what Ellie was staring at and when she saw Jericho, I couldn't help but compare her eyes to that of an insect's.

"Oh my gosh, Christa get away from him!" Sage said appalled, a fireball already growing in the palm of her hand.

"Wait!" I yelled halting any possible attack on Jericho. "He's not going to hurt me. See! He's tied up."

"What's he doing here?" Ellie said in a small voice.

"Isn't it obvious? I captured him!" I tried using as much confidence in my voice as I could.

When Ellie and Sage refused to speak or move, I said, "Don't worry. The ropes are magically bonded together so he can't escape." After that, Sage and Ellie relaxed, but only a little bit.

"What have you been doing with him?" Sage asked.

"Oh just a little Q&A on what he knows."

"What have you got from him?"

"Just enough."

"Enough for what?"

"To attack Victor. We could be as ready for battle as tomorrow."

"You know where Victor is?" Ellie asked from behind Sage.

"Not exactly, but we know where to find him," I said then turned towards Jericho, "Don't we?"

"You'll never find the meadow in time," He replied.

"Which is why you're going to lead us there."

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind."

"You don't exactly have much of a choice, do you?"

"No," Jericho said grimly then turned to look at the ground while Sage and Ellie's faces brightened up.

"All start making some potions and researching some more spells for tomorrow," I said and turned around and headed for my little magic-making room in the basement.

"Why?" Sage said. I turned back around and gave her a confused look.

"Of course, what are we going to battle with?"

"Oh I don't know," Sage said with a hopeful grin, "I thought we could use a certain girl and a powerful ring." I dropped my jaw.

"Sage," Ellie said frightful, "You can't be serious. She's just a little girl."

"A girl with a powerful ring!" Sage said thinking she had a point.

"She's also my niece. We could risk her life."

"Not with that ring and she's the only one that can use it. It must be a sign."

"It's not a sign for her to take down alone two demented wizards and a chaotic warlock."

"She won't be alone we'll be around in case something goes wrong."

"You mean until after something bad has happened to her?"

Sage and my altercation paused when the front door opened again (because using the doorbell or knocking is just way out of style now) and the object of our argument strolled into the living room. She seemed oblivious to the fact that moments ago she was being debated over being a weapon of mass destruction.

"Hey guys! How is everybody?" Nessie asked politely.

"Speak of the devil," Sage said nonchalantly while giving an adoring glance towards Nessie.

"Hey Nessie-"

"Don't even think about it," I said cutting off Sage, "If you so much as suggest using my niece as a weapon again I will ask you to leave my home."

"No problem then," Sage said arrogantly before sauntering out the open front door with a hideous scowl on her face and bumping shoulders with Nessie without apologizing.

"Sage, wait!" Ellie said desperately and went outside to get Sage, but it was too late because Sage was long gone.

"What did I miss?" Nessie said bewildered.

I sighed and looked sadly at my confused niece. She would never be able to take on those three vicious creatures…even if she was powerful _without _the ring.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Sorry if this chapter is a bit shorter than usual, it's because I have a big surprise that I want to save for the next chapter! Reviews are greatly appreciated! But something that's even more appreciated, my friend and girl scout sister just died and she was really young and her death was tragic and I would love it if you could pray for her please. Thank you.<strong>

**-J.J.**


	15. Chance Encounters

**Chapter 15: Chance Encounters **

_Sage_

"My gosh!" I said out loud to no one in particular, "Why does Christa hate me?"

I had walked at least two miles away from Christa's isolated cabin (and still walking) to a small neighborhood in central Forks; using up my frustration and anger by kicking small rocks and trash and whatever you could find on the sidewalk. My little kicking-fest had earned a few confused glances by some locals but I didn't really care.

The sun was falling out of the sky while coordinating with the moon's rising into a beautiful sunset. It was hard to see a sunset here, considering the clouds had practically sewn themselves into the sky hiding whatever gorgeous sunlight that was trapped above them. But today some of the clouds had loosened their threads and a bountiful dusk painted the evening sky. It seemed ironic considering the altercation that had happened moments ago.

Back to the original topic, what did Christa hate me? She never hated me when we were in the same clan together, actually we were the best of friends, but since I found her here she hasn't treated me like she used to. Maybe it's because she's more mature now while I'm still stuck in this irritable teenage form or maybe it's because she didn't want to be found and I messed up her family-indulged life.

But still, I suggest one simple idea and she flips out? I didn't mean any harm and I didn't want to hurt Nessie. I just thought since Victor and his clan probably overpowered us that a little extra boost could help.

Maybe it does sound a bit selfish, but do we have a choice? We don't infinite power at our expense. Sure maybe Christa was high in the witch ranking but that didn't mean she could be capable of defeating Victor alone if Ellie and me took on Victor's other two advocates.

I mean Victor was just this horrible brute with giant chain armor and had a ton of tricks up his sleeve and Christa was just another person, granted she was a bit extraordinaire but her heart wasn't dark, merciless, and maybe just heartless in general like Victor's. With Nessie by her side (she was her apprentice after all) she could blow Victor away with Nessie and the power of the ring and then she would be able overpower Victor. Maybe the idea wasn't as selfish as it was desperate.

I continued rambling to myself as I stopped brutally kicking everything in my path and my anger seemed to fade with the setting sun. Eventually the irate mood inside of me was replaced by a different feeling. Not one of calmness or happiness but that strange feeling you got when you felt like someone was watching you.

I sped up my pace and listened closely for any footsteps around me. I gave the area a quick look around but I couldn't find anything suspicious in sight but that feeling did not subside. In fact it became much more tangible and morphed into a feeling that something-no, someone essential was coming my way. I didn't know why I felt this way and for some reason my heart thumped in a way that wasn't legal or possible but that didn't mean it didn't feel healthy or alive.

I was about to ask who could create such a feeling in someone when I walked right into him. The impact made me loose my balance and I would have embarrassingly face planted to the ground if warm arms hadn't wrapped around me at the last second. _Really_ warm arms. When I looked at him I recognized him as the La Push boy who I couldn't stop gawking at when Nessie's friend Jake brought him over.

"Are you okay?" He asked. He was staring at me like the way he did when he first met: like I was some valuable, one-of-a-kind gemstone that no one had discovered yet and that he had no intentions of sharing.

"Um, yah, sorry about that. Haven't we met before?"

"Yah," the boy smiled at my recognition of him, "We met at Christa's house. Well we didn't really meet but we saw each other." The boy smiled nervously at me like he wasn't sure if he said the right words.

"Your name is Sage, right?"

"Yes, who told you?" I asked and also stepped out of his arms once I realized that there was no longer any reason for him to hold on to me.

"Well Nessie told my friend Jake who then told me your name."

"That makes sense. I'm Christa's friend."

"So is your cousin, right?"

"My who?" I asked. I didn't have any cousins or at least all my cousins are in Australia and don't know I'm alive…

"Your cousin, you know the blond haired girl? I think her name was Emmy."

"Oh you mean Ellie! Oh yah she's my cousin," I said. It wasn't true but I suspected this was the story Christa had come up for Ellie and me.

"So what's your name?" I asked and the boy immediately brightened up.

"My name-" The boy was cut off by a loud howl of a wolf coming from the woods. That's weird, I don't remember Christa saying anything about wolves nearby, and since when did wolves howl so loud?

"Hey I got to go. I'll see you again, okay?" the boy said before turning around and sprinting down the sidewalk. The minute he started running it felt like he was tugging on some invisible strings that connected me to him. Like he was the puppeteer and I was one of his string puppets; when he moved I moved.

I quickly dashed after him shouting, "You still didn't tell me your name!" Wow that sounded desperate. I continued to follow the direction the strings were tugging, around sharp corners and across busy streets. I was able to see him sometimes but most of the time he was too far ahead to see. He didn't see me running after him, which only made the chase harder since it wasn't like I could call out his name.

Eventually I caught up to him; I was just a few yards away from him and about to shout at him but then he abruptly changed direction and ran straight into the woods. I didn't know why he would run into there, but I ran into the woods after him. But it was pointless because the minutes I crashed into the woods I lost connection with him.

The strings that held us together didn't cut or break but they could no longer be felt. They were still there but they weren't tugging at me to follow him anymore. My heart returned to its normal rate and I was left with a hollow feeling. I trudged out of the woods and back onto the sidewalk.

It was then that I realized that the sun had finally left the sky leaving a perfect crescent moon to shine in its place. Despite the glowing moon, it was still dark outside and only a few lamp posts illuminated the sidewalk.

Then I wondered how I was going to get home or at least to Christa's house. I didn't have my cellphone on me and chasing the boy had left me in an unfamiliar place in town. I didn't know my way home and I didn't have anyone to call and pick me up. I sighed and fell to the ground.

Hopefully either Christa or Ellie would become worried and come looking for me and it was easier for them to find me if I kept still than wandered around town like an idiot. Or maybe the boy would come back and find me.

As I waited for half an hour for some kind of help to come along, I memorized every detail of the street I was on. From the way the oak trees aligned themselves to the cracks in the sidewalk. From the poor pavement on the rode to the bright light glowing at the end of the street…wait a minute, bright light? Oh, duh!

I stood up from my seat on the ground and headed towards the light. I know it was best not to move but if that bright light meant civilization was nearby then I could borrow someone's phone!

As I neared the light, it slowly grew bigger and bigger until it started separate into little sources of light that glowed off from more lamp posts and even off a few houses. Perfect, I'll go to someone's house, ask to use the phone, and call Ellie (because I don't think Christa really wants to hear me right now) to pick me up.

As I neared the houses, I realized I recognized one of the houses. I had never been to the house before but I recognized it from pictures Christa had shown me. When we both lived under Lucille's house, Christa would fantasize and talk about this house; she said that when she was a child, she went here two weeks every summer. She would say that when she was old enough, she would buy a house right next to this one despite the gloomy weather. This house belonged to the person (or should I say one of the persons) that Christa had left us for. This was Charlie's house.

Now I knew Charlie was a good person, even though I hadn't met him, but I'd always held some sort of resentment towards him for being the first person Christa ran to when she left Lucille, and everyone, and me.

But no matter, right now Charlie was my best chance. Even if I hadn't planned on calling Christa, she couldn't still be mad at me. Maybe she had forgiven me and Christa was going to introduce me to her father and family at the party this Saturday so why not now? Charlie would believe her if she said she was Christa's friend, right? Hopefully she wouldn't get angry with me for this.

I skipped up Charlie's little cracked stone steps and gently pushed the doorbell. When nothing happened I pressed the doorbell again. No answer. I gave a loud knock on the hard wood door and continued to wait for Charlie. Why wasn't he answering? I then looked at his driveway and realized it was vacant. He must still be at work or something.

I was about to walk back down the street to my little waiting place when something in my peripheral vision glowed. Charlie's next-door neighbor had turned on all the lights in their house at once and like a moth to a light, I was instantly lured towards it.

Charlie might not be home but the resident (s) to the next home are and I still needed a way home. I'll just ask for one telephone call and she or he would oblige since everyone in this town seemed nice enough.

I walked up the concrete steps to the house next door cautiously and lightly knocked on the door, but that was all it took for the door to quickly open by itself. Whoever turned on the light must have left the room and left the door slightly ajar, but why would they do that?

I poked my head through the doorway and called, "Hello? Is anyone here?"

No answer.

Isn't anybody around when I need them?

I walked further into the doorway even though it probably wasn't a polite thing to do but outside it was starting to get cold and I was getting scared from being alone.

"Is anybody here? Please I need your help," I called out again and looked around the room as I walked slowly into it and shut the front door behind me. The room was filled with simple furniture: a couch, a T.V., a dining table, a coffee table, some grey rugs, and windows with grey curtains.

The weird thing was there was nothing valuable that would signify its owner. There were no picture frames of family and friends, no clothing items lying around, no coffee mugs with the person's favorite sports team on it. Nothing. It didn't seem like a home, but rather a room with furniture.

"Anybody?" I called again, "I just need to borrow a phone then I'll leave!" Even if this didn't seem like a home somebody turned on the lights, somebody has to be here.

But maybe the light was on all the time and I just didn't realize it. Maybe.

"Please. I'm alone," I gave one last desperate call before I headed back to the front door and turned the knob, or at least I tried to. When I turned the knob I found the door locked. What was this? When did the door lock? I couldn't be stuck here!

"Alone, eh?" Said a voice behind me that definitely wasn't there a few seconds ago, "Perfect."

The last thing I remember before going into unconsciousness were cool hands wrapping around me and the sound of a devilish laughter.

* * *

><p><em>Renesmee<em>

"So what you're saying is there's another possibility of me using the ring the same as I did the last time?" I asked fervently.

"Of course there is, the ring will only react to you," Christa said coolly.

"And you're not going to le me use it on Victor because?"

"Because the battle is going to be to dangerous for you."

"I battled last time and you didn't mind," I pointed out.

"I wasn't expecting a battle last time-"

"But it happened and I was fine, barely injured, and that was when Victor wasn't short one man," I said then pointed to where Jericho was lounging-still tied up in a wooden chair-while watching our conversation half-heartedly.

"Victor was only playing tricks with us last time. He'll use much more power on us this time."

"All the more reason why I should be in this battle. I'm not as weak as you think I am, not with that ring. Sage was right."

"Sage didn't know what she was talking about. No matter how strong you are, you're still just a child."

"Excuse me," Ellie popped in and interrupted, "While we're on the topic of Sage, am I the only who thinks she's been gone a long time?"

"She's mad. She's going to be gone for awhile," Christa said nonchalantly.

"Not this long! After fifteen minutes she would've gotten cold or hungry and would've come back. She's been gone almost an hour!" Ellie screeched frantically, almost of the verge of weeping, "There are a lot of bad people in the world. Victor is still out there! And plenty of other creatures that would hurt her!"

"Sage can handle herself, now back to what I was saying-"

"Don't be selfish!" Ellie screamed at Christa, I had never seen her so angry before…

…And Ellie was only beginning her tirade, "In case you haven't noticed, Ellie is just a young girl too. Just a couple years older than Nessie here and she doesn't even know her way around town. She's probably already lost and is sobbing away in the cold while you pay her no attention. Do you know how much Sage cares about you? She didn't have to fight for you. WE didn't have to fight for you but we did because we worry and care about you, Christa. When you left us five years ago, do you know how many nights Sage cried? Many. Besides me, you were her only friend. And you were the only witch to show her any guidance and you two seemed to get along really well back then but now Sage can only think that you find her annoying. I can't say I don't disagree with her. All those other witches and wizards we've met-including Tiffany and Lucille-only liked you for your power, but Sage liked you because you were Christa. She loved you like you were an older sister. But what happened to you? Do you care about her like a little sister?"

Wow…I had to admit that even I was speechless. When I looked at Christa I was shocked to see that actual tears welled up in her eyes and that her hands shook at her sides.

"She…Sage loves me?" Christa choked out the question.

"Of course, I think you've even treated me better than my own sister Tiffany has. But Sage would never leave your side if you told her to stay."

"But I thought…," Christa said but couldn't get any more words out of her sobs.

"You thought what Christa? You know what, I'm going to go look for Sage now," Ellie said then slammed open the front door and stomped out of the cabin.

"Ellie," Christa cried out but once again it was too late to go after anyone.

"Don't leave me too," Christa said silently to herself. She fell into the couch and gave out little sobs into the pillows. I looked at Jericho and even he seemed to be looking anxiously at Christa. I went over to where Christa was sitting and hugged her from behind.

"She'll be back," I said hopefully.

"How do you know?" Christa wept out.

"Because she still cares about you and so does Sage despite the arguments from earlier. We're all going to fight for you, Christa. Even me, and its not just because I want to, I have to. I'm your apprentice remember? Sage, Ellie, and me have your back. You won't be alone."

"I'll have your back too!" Jericho called out from his little prison in the middle of the living room.

"I thought you said you weren't fighting," Christa asked confused.

"I changed my mind. I've kind of grown fond of you guys even though if I've only been here a day. Or maybe I just realized you aren't the cruel, idiotic people Victor made you out to be. Then again when should I ever listen to Victor?"

"But won't Victor be mad?"

"Eh…Victor knew I hated him. He won't be too surprised."

"Well then I guess those won't be necessary then," Christa said then got up off the couch and walked to where Jericho was tied up. She said a mystical whisper under her breath and with a snap of her fingers the ropes around Jericho became loose and undid themselves. Jericho was free.

Then Jericho did the unexpected; he didn't tackle Christa like a prisoner would have but in stead got up from his chair, looked at Christa thoughtfully, and wrapped her in a hug.

"Why are you hugging me?" Christa asked bemused.

"Because 1. I'm proving that I will be your comrade and 2. I really need to stretch my arms after being tied up," Jericho said simply and stepped out of the hug to face Christa.

"Will you stop crying also? Ellie will be back," Jericho said then took a tissue from the table and wiped Christa's remaining tears with it.

Then as if Jericho's words were prophetic, Ellie came bashing in through the door with a slip of paper in her hand.

"See I'm psychic," Jericho said as he was ignorant to the dread feeling that filled the room.

"Did you find Sage?" Christa asked.

"No I found something worse," Ellie said.

"What?" Everyone else asked in unison.

"This letter," Ellie pointed at the paper in her hands, "It says this:"

"_I have captured your friend Sage and I am holding her hostage. I am willing to give her back on one condition: you give us back Jericho. Meet us at the meadow (Jericho will show you where it is) at twelve noon tomorrow with Jericho. Or else your friend Sage might lose her head!_

_ -Victor Gates"_

"Crap," everyone said in unison.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: So that's this chapter and yes stuff is going to go down next chapter! REVIEW!<strong>


	16. Nothing Wrong Here

**Chapter 16: Nothing Wrong Here**

_Leah_

I woke up to three things: 1. A drunk-ish numb feeling that you could only get by being overdosed on morphine by Dr. Acula, better known as Carlisle Cullen; 2. A repulsive stench of sulfur and expired lemon juice that could only come from Dr. Acula's family (which frankly the scent made me want to pass out again); and 3. The feeling of feather light pillows around my head and rose petal soft cushions beneath me, which could only be provided by said vampire doctor.

Conclusion: The pack must have dragged my left-for-dead body to the Cullen's house and threw it in front of Carlisle asking for his magical, medical dexterities for about the hundredth time that this has happened.

The pack then must have then gone after my bloodsucking attacker and chopped her to bacon bits. In other words, they killed the vampire, right? Right?

Oh, whatever. I'd rather I ripped the life (vampire wise) out of her myself. If she's still out there then I'll make her regret the day she was born, and then died and undied, because I've learned there can be two things in this world that can be Hell on Earth: life and me.

Going back to the room, I tried sitting up in the posh bed that I had been resting in only for my plan to backfire when the numb feeling didn't let me lift myself more than a foot. I grumbled to myself and then tried to roll around in the bed. I pushed myself to the left then the right, left, right, left, and right. With each roll I got greater and greater distance in the tiny bed until _smack! _I rolled a little too far and fell off the edge of the bed and landed face first into the lavender carpet, which of course reeked of the resident bloodsuckers' feet.

I flinched away from the revolting smelling carpet and flopped myself on my back. Part of the morphine must have been scared away by my tumble because abrupt sharp pains filled around my body where I must have been cut and bruised by the leech.

Even though I was pretty light for the she-wolf I was and the carpeting was so thick, the floor seemed to give a loud _thump _at my sudden fall. A sound loud enough to be heard by anyone with supernatural hearing within a quarter of a mile around me.

Or you know is just standing outside the door.

"Leah, are you okay?" Jacob yelled as he smashed open the door.

"Jake!" Embry, who appeared behind Jacob in the doorway, scolded, "She could still be sleeping!"

"Idiots," I grumbled under my breath. I then rolled over onto my side so they could see my grumpy and awake face. Jacob and Embry, followed by Seth and Quil, then walked completely into the room, which I now realize is Nessie's. They then all leaned down in front of me in a half-circle formation.

"Leah?" My little brother Seth asked, "How are you? Why are you on the floor?"

"Oh no reason," I replied and then, successfully this time, lifted myself up from the floor and leaned against the bedside.

"Do you remember anything?" Jake asked.

"Oh no I can't quiet remember getting my butt handed to me by a bloodsucker, but you know thanks for reminding me," I said with heavy sarcasm.

"I was just asking in case you had amnesia or something," Jacob said in defense.

"With all this morphine in me I might as well," I said back with a groan. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate the hospitality by the local vampire doctor; it's just that there's got to be at least one wolf around to make sure our pack doesn't end up as the Cullen's pets.

"I actually don't feel that bad honestly," I said nonchalantly. All eyebrows of my pack were raised.

"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" Quil asked.

"No." Quil then turned my head in the direction of the body-length mirror that hung in Nessie's small room, just three feet from me. I crawled away from the boys and right in front of the mirror where I then wobbly stood up for the first time.

As I examined myself in the mirror, I was wearing knee-length capris with a peach tank top (clothing I wasn't wearing before the attack that someone must have changed me into since my previous outfit must have been shredded and blood-bathed) and as I looked at myself I noticed a pattern of bruises and cuts like someone had played an abusive game tic-tac-toe all over my skin. But the bruises were minor and the cuts weren't too deep and whatever seemed major was carefully bandaged.

Weird, when a leech usually attacked me, they tried leaving injuries that showed the intention to kill like broken bones or bleeding organs. This attack only seemed like the purpose was only for a little sadistic playtime, petty torture. Maybe this vampire was one of those that played with its food before actually killing it.

My self-examination was stopped when Bella peeped her head into the doorway.

"Hello Leah," She said like she actually cared, "Are you alright?" I didn't understand why even after my heated tirade at her (that lasted quite a long time) when she was dying and pregnant that she never sought payback at me. I mean nobody responds to my coldness with kindness. Maybe she was just waiting for a time when I would be neglecting Jacob to actually yell at me.

"I'm fine," I said in a sort of snotty way.

"That's good we were all worried about you," Bella responded back. Why is it to me that every word that comes out of her mouth is too sickingly adorable? Maybe I was just too paranoid for her to be of my liking.

"Don't worry about me I said I was fine," I said peeved.

"Okay just don't do any hunting for a while. That's what Carlisle recommends I mean," Bella said before turning her attention to Jacob.

"Jacob, do you mind picking up Nessie from Christa's house?" Bella asked.

"Sorry Bells, I would love to but we have to hunt a certain parasite in the area before she can escape again."

"But then who will pick up Nessie? We have our own case to solve as well."

"I'll pick her up," I said nonchalant

"But Leah, your wounds!" Bella stressed.

"They don't hurt…a lot."

"But what if someone sees you like this?"

"I'll just put on a sweatshirt and some longer jeans."

"But-"

"Hey, you said I couldn't do anything for a while but I still gotta make myself useful. I don't mind taking care of Lil' Ness for you guys while I recover." It was true, despite my rather negative preference to all vampires; I made an exemption to Nessie. Maybe it was because she's Jake's imprint, or maybe because she's more human than leech, or maybe because she just hasn't done anything to get on my nerves yet.

"I'll go pick her up right now. Jacob, you don't mind me borrowing your car, do you?"

"Are you sure?" Jacob responded.

"Oh please," I said, "I've had worse injuries." I left the room then, leaving everyone with a dumbfounded expression though nobody tried to pursue after me. Once I walked down stairs, I sauntered out the front door of the Cullen mansion; I didn't even bother to greet any Cullens that I might have passed.

Luckily, Jacob had his Volkswagen Rabbit parked in the Cullen driveway. Another lucky thing was Jacob had a habit of leaving his keys in the ignition, a habit that-though was useful at the moment-I constantly scolded him for.

I opened the car door and practically fell into the driver's seat, almost like I owned the car. I didn't miss the curious glances my fellow pack members gave me through the mansion's windows as I roared the car to life with a twist of my keys and slowly pulled out of the driveway. I gave them a little wave in return until I backed up too far away to see them anymore.

My first destination was my home in La Push. I briefly remembered a time just a couple of years ago when I had turned my back completely on my original pack to join my current one and I wasn't able to step a foot into my house for a month. Because of this, I always felt a wary feeling every time I visited my house like I wasn't necessarily welcomed

Speaking of my home, I found that when I snapped back to reality that my mind subconsciously drove me here and I was now turning into the driveway of said house.

My house was just like every typical small-town home you ever saw. It was a three-bedroom house with two floors made entirely out of wooden flooring and walls and brick roofing. It had a little stone pathway and front steps, two little garden windowsills, and a chimney that puffed smoke every now and then against the frigid weather. It was designed for the classic four-person family but now only had three occupants.

I shut off the car and walked towards the front steps even though the morphine in me that was left was starting to create a woozy feeling. At the steps, I flipped over the welcome matt to find spare keys to the house-a very cliché tradition but still convenient.

I opened the front door and popped my head inside before entering to see if anyone was home.

"Hellooo!" I called out. Without a response I entered the house and closed the door behind me. It was sort of a good thing that my mom wasn't home. I wasn't sure if she heard about what had happened to me and I didn't want her to find out this way.

I made my way up the tiny stairwell across the room from the front door and proceeded to my room that was just to the right of the stairwell upstairs. I quickly went through my drawers for something to wear. Fortunately I found a pair of my old jeans and my high school track-and-field sweatshirt.

Once I was changed, I was off again…

* * *

><p><em>Renesmee<em>

A bitter silence filled the room that Christa, me, Ellie, and Jericho were all standing in. We each were contemplating the situation that we just received when our obvious solution was ruined by Jericho's words.

"He's not going to accept me alone," Jericho said abruptly.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"If you knew Victor well enough then you know that he'll probably go back on his deal. He'll take me but create a diversion to distract you guys and then run off with Sage," Jericho responded grimly.

"Great," Christa said sardonically, "Is there anyway we can get her back?"

"There is one thing you can do. You can sweeten the deal by asking them to trade Sage first and in return you not only give Victor me but the orb as well."

To that solution, Christa said "no" at the same time Ellie said "fine."

"Ellie are you crazy?" Christa said.

"He'll kill Sage," Ellie said in defense.

"He'll kill Charlie," Christa hissed.

"We can't fight anymore," I pleaded, "We need Sage back but giving Victor the orb means he has won. So lets take the orb, but hide it and only use it as our last resort."

"If that's our last resort than what's our first?" Jericho asked.

"Me. I don't have to get too involved but I can create a little distraction of my own."

"In any case, we need to start preparing," Christa said and started heading down the stairs towards the basement and gave a silent signal for us to follow. We followed her into the basement where we all went into Christa's little "magic" room.

"Nessie," Christa ordered me when we were all filed into the room, "We're going to need Ellie's and Jericho's help making some battle potions and concoctions. Do you mind turning anything you've made invisible visible again?

"That's a lot though," I said as I speculated all the shelves and cabinets filled with vials and books on sorcery that could only be seen by me and Christa but not Ellie and Jericho.

"Well there actually is a shortcut to make multiple items turn visible again at once," Christa said with an embarrassed grin

"And you didn't teach me this because?" I questioned.

"It's a little bit risky but desperate times call for desperate measures. Anyway what you have to do is take your palm of your hand-the one with the witch apprentice tattoo on it-and press it against the wall. Then you have to say your usual chant, "To be seen by everyone, _magus." _but you have to yell it in order for it to work.

Following Christa's orders, I took my tattooed palm (I rubbed off the magic, make-up that hid my tattoo from my family. It was still a perfect swirl with little roses on the sides from when I first got it) and I went over to the wall to press my palm against it.

"To be seen by everyone, magus!" I yelled. Following my yell came a little shake that vibrated the entire house like a miniature earthquake was happening. Then once the short vibration ended, all the potions and everything invisible began to glow for a couple of seconds and then stop. I was able to see them before they glowed but after they stopped they seemed somewhat clearer. Jericho and Sage looked like they were completely blown away by my performance.

"That's a nifty little trick," Jericho commented.

"Yah, it's supposed to work like a light switch. It could use some more work, but anyway good job Nessie," Christa said and then gave an appreciative smile at me.

"No problem," I said back.

"Well enough chatter, we have work to do!" Ellie encouraged while snapping out of her daze.

We started working together; passing each other potions to mix into vials to create a harmful concoction and sharing sorcery books to look for good battle brews. We were working for about half an hour when-_Ding, dong! Ding, dong! _The doorbell rang.

"Why is it that people come to my house when I don't need them?" Christa groaned.

"I'll get it," I offered. I then reluctantly jogged upstairs to the living room where I opened the front door to find a surprising guest.

"Leah?" I stared incredulously at the girl that I had seen bandaged up and unconscious not too long ago.

"Hey, what's up, kiddo? I'm here to pick you up," Leah said awkwardly in the doorway.

"Are you alright?" I asked, noticing that she still had a bruise on her left cheek and a couple stiches on her forehead.

"I'm fine and sorry for picking you up so late." Leah then gestured to the watch I was wearing. I looked at it and it read nine fifteen at night. Had the day gone by that fast?

"Nessie who's there?" Aunt Christa called as she was coming up the stairs. She paused when she was close enough to see Leah's damaged face.

"Leah what happened to you?" Christa asked.

"Its okay, but I really have to take Nessie home now."

"That's fine. I wish I realized how late it was." Christa's eyes briefly flickered to outside where the sky was pitch black. There was no trace of any sunshine that might have been there before.

"Well goodnight," Leah said then pulled a hesitant me out the door with my gaze still on Christa's grim face.

The car ride home was not a casual one. A mysteriously gray feeling seemed to fill up all corners of the car. I quickly looked for the source of this mood but then quickly realized it was rolling off of me.

"Did you have a good time? You don't look well," Leah said to my gloomy expression.

"I'm fine. I'm just really tired," I said curtly.

"Okay."

Unlike my family, Leah took her sweet time driving me home instead of speeding me there. And yet it wasn't long till we were pulling up into the Cullens' driveway.

"Thank you," I muttered respectfully and then headed into my home as other pack members started jogging their way towards Leah.

In honesty, I was actually tired. I gave a quick hello to everyone who was home before heading to my bedroom. It was perfectly silent except for the peaceful chirps of the crickets outside.

I walked slowly to my walk-in closet and picked the first pair of pajamas I saw. I changed quickly and collapsed under the covers of the bed. A strange feeling of fatigue was washing over me. I could feel the countdown to when I would fall asleep begin….

Four…

Three…

Two….

One-

_EEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!_

A tortured scream echoed through out the walls of my brain. For some reason, I placed the voice as Christa's. When I was utterly confused, something Christa told me a long time ago popped into my head.

"…_You'll be able to feel that I'm in danger…"_

I hopped out of bed and nearly threw myself out the window while trying to clime down it.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I guess you know what this means? So I have a battle scene planned out for the next chapter that might extend into two. Don't worry it won't be extremely gory and graphic. Sorry for anything that might have made you mad. Anyway….REVIEWS ARE LOVE!<strong>


	17. Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter 17: Calm Before the Storm**

My legs shot bursts of pain through out my entire body as I jumped from the window of my bedroom on the second floor of the Cullen house. Of course that pain was ignored as my feet continued to make myself move without confirming with my brain.

I had no idea where I was going but some previously dormant instinct inside of me told me to run and when to make a turn. It was completely pitch black outside but my heightened senses aloud me to see the shapes of the trees and plants around me. Christa's words replayed in my head:

"…_You'll be able to feel that I'm in danger…"_

It must be the instinct inside of me that was reminding me. Which can only be one thing, Christa was in trouble. Big trouble by the reaction of the instinct that was probably part of my new witch apprentice powers.

"…_You'll be able to feel that I'm in danger…"_

Even worse, a headache started growing in the back of my head. It screamed at me like the scream I heard from Christa in my head just moments ago. As I kept running the headache turned into a blinking red light in my mind; impossible to ignore. Then after twenty seconds of screaming, it subdued to whispers. Whispers that were understandable to hear:

…_He. Lied….No meadow…..Attacking Christa's house….Boom!... Shouting…. Boom!...Fighting….Boom!...Fire…Boom!...Blood…..EEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!RUN!_

I clutched my head at the sound of the screaming again but continued to sprint through the forest. I suddenly realized that my body was dragging me towards Christa's house, the destination of the disaster my mind was describing. What if it was too late when I arrived? Were they already fighting? Was somebody already hurt? Was somebody already dead?

"…_You'll be able to feel that I'm in danger…"_

The instinct faded slowly as a bright light started to become visible through the mass of different trees. As I urged closer, the bright light suddenly turned into a lamp post. A lamp post that was located directly next to my destination's house. The house didn't seem to be shaking or booming with loud noise, so that was a good thing. Unless everybody was already dead…

"…_You'll be able to feel that I'm in danger…"_

In no time I was standing outside of Christa's house practically out of breath. I wasted no time knocking; I kicked the door open with my bear feet (I had socks on before but they got shredded as I ran through the forest at impeccable speed). I marched inside and registered everyone in the room: Christa, Ellie, and Jericho but no Victor or his menacing minions. So my headache was just giving me a premonition.

As I was staring at everyone around the room, they were staring back at me with bewildered faces. They weren't preparing for a battle like they were before I left, just doing everyday things like drinking iced tea and watching T.V. They needed to get ready, fast.

"Is there a problem, Nessie?" Ellie stuttered still confused.

"What are you guys doing? You need to prepare because Victor is coming as we speak," I said gravely.

"Whoa, whoa, back up," Jericho said, "What do you mean he's coming? We're fighting tomorrow at the meadow."

No we're not he's coming right now to try and surprise us. He lied."

"How do you know this?" Christa asked.

"You told me that as an apprentice I would be able to sense if you were in danger," I explained, "Well I'm feeling it right now and I just felt this warning inside me that he's coming to slaughter you all and I have to alert you that he's coming or else!"

The room became tense as everyone realized what I said. We new the battle was inevitable even though Victor never mentioned it in the letter, but we would never be ready to face it head on like this! There weren't any neighbors around, but somebody must live close enough to hear something like cannon shots from all the way here. We should have known Victor would do something as sneaky as this!

"Ellie, Jericho, stay here," Christa ordered, "Nessie come with me into the basement. We need to do some things before Victor arrives."

"But Christa!" Ellie protested.

"You two need to guard the house," Christa said hurriedly before taking me by the arm and dragging me downstairs. The basement wasn't over flowing with potions everywhere like I expected. When we entered the magic room, though, there were three brown, leather sashes with several various potions strapped to inside the pockets of the sash, all sitting on the little countertop in the middle of the room.

"What is this?" I asked.

"We're going to wear these sashes when we meet Victor," Christa explained.

"Won't he take you guys carrying a large assortment of deadly potions as a bad sign?"

"Not if we where a sweatshirt over our sashes. When the time comes to fight we'll just take off the sweatshirt."

"That's not a bad idea, but why are there only three?" I asked.

"One for me, Ellie, and Jericho."

"What about me?"

"You aren't a skilled enough apprentice to use magic."

I rolled my eyes. "Do you really need that much magic to throw a vial of liquid at someone's face?"

"Yes actually you do and I'll explain later." Christa then carried the sashes and put them onto the couch in the next room and then walked back into the magic room before I could say another word.

"All right, remember how you made all those potions visible at once?" Christa asked. I nodded.

"Well we have to hide whatever potions I have left and my enchanted books so Victor doesn't get his hands on them. Do what you did before with those items except say the invisible chant instead of the visible one."

"Okay," I agreed like a good apprentice. Did I remember how to do this? I think so.

I ran up against the wall and pressed my tattooed hand against it like what I did last time, but changed my chant.

"Not to be seen by others but me, _magus_," I said loud and clear.

"Is it good?" I asked. To test if I did the chant right, Christa took a pencil from the countertop and flung it at a stack of books on the counter top against the wall. The pencil went through the books like they weren't even there and the pencil hit the wall and bounced to the floor where it also went through a little vial sitting on the floor.

"Perfect," Christa complimented.

Just then a flash of pain briefly went through my mind like a burning migraine. It lasted a couple seconds then ended when I collapsed to the floor. I knew what it meant.

"Nessie, what's wrong?" Christa asked as she rushed over to me.

"Victor is almost here," I choked out, "We need to hurry."

Christa picked me up bridal-style and carried me into the other room in the basement where she set me down gently on my feet. She then rushed to pick up her sashes and ran upstairs. When I was sure I could walk again, I followed after her. By the time I was upstairs, everyone else was putting on their sashes and talking battle strategy.

"Wait what am I supposed to fight with?" I asked frantically.

"Nothing," Christa said then walked over to where I was standing, "Just stay by my side and as my witch apprentice you will make me stronger with just your presence, and in return I promise to protect you."

Christa gently put her hand on my shoulder, "Do you hear me, Nessie? You can't leave my side at all. I don't want to lose you."

"I understand." I then nodded feverishly.

Christa's hand then moved to touch my cheek where I started to feel tears burn in my eyes.

"Hey Nessie, I forgot to tell you something," Christa said.

"Wh-What?" I stuttered.

"I love you."

A dam burst in my eyes and tears flowed out uncontrollably. Christa and me both pulled each other into a hug at the same time. We squeezed out all our love that we had into that hug and clutched onto one another, not even caring that Victor could come in at any second and ruin our moment. It just might be one of the best and one of the last hugs I ever got.

"I love you too," I wept out.

Christa pulled me back out of the hug to look into my bawling eyes and said, "You know, I don't think I ever told you that you sound a lot like your mother when she was your age." Christa then skimmed her kind fingers over my eyes; her fingers both wiped away my tears and trying to reminiscence over my mother's eyes at the same time.

"I'm glad," I said, "You look a lot like my mother." Christa did, she did not have Bella's brown eyes but she had the same serious yet rounded face that my mother had that showed signs of early maturity yet beautiful youth. Her hair was in corkscrew curls like mine but she had the same mahogany brown hair and widow's peak as Bella. Her skin had the same fair skin tone that my mother had when she was human as well as the same slender form.

"You look more like my mother than I do," I bawled with my final flood of tears coming out of my eyes. I pushed Christa into one last hug because if I couldn't hug my mother (possibly) one last time, then I was going to hug Christa for my mommy, and for my daddy, and Jacob, Alice, Rosie, Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, Esme, Charlie, and whoever else I was thankful enough for loving and excepting me into their life.

Soon enough our hug was accompanied by Ellie whose calm façade had finally broke down and she was now sobbing a river from her eyes.

"You guys were the best thing I had for a family!" Ellie blubbered out and clutched onto us like a weak little child would grasp onto its favorite doll for protection.

"It's okay, we love you too, Ellie," Christa soothed.

"Oh will you guys shut up!" Jericho complained from across the room. We all let go of our hug to glare at Jericho for ruining our heart-felt moment.

"Where are the confident women I met not too long ago? You make it sound like we are going to die!" Jericho yelled at us, "We can't defeat Victor like this! Victor may be powerful, but he won't be able to stop an incredible force like us! But you all need to stay strong and you can't let victor weaken you like this!"

"Jericho is right," Christa said. She picked herself up from our little group hug that had collapsed onto the floor.

"Christa…" I said.

"Nobody is dying tonight, not on my watch," Christa said.

"Thank you!" Jericho said.

Christa then picked up me and Ellie from the floor and wiped away our stray tears with her hands.

"We still have Sage to save anyway," Christa encouraged us.

"Okay," Ellie and me said in simultaneous agreement, our sprits starting to lighten up.

"Well let's go!" Jericho said then started ushering us toward the door, "Victor will be here any moment!"

"He's right," I said as another wave of pain rolled over in my head, "Victor is almost here."

"Everyone got what they needed?" Christa said swiftly noticing my little mental attack.

"Yes!" Everyone said simultaneous.

"Remember our first priority is getting Sage; don't attack until she is out enemy hands."

"Yes!"

We fled out of the house through the front door but ran around to the back and then into the woods, which was both a good distance away from the house and civilization. We filed into a horizontal line like in an actual army; from right to left were Ellie, Jericho, Christa, and then me. Despite my new found confidence, I clutched onto Christa's hand like a lifeline, which Christa returned with a comforting squeeze.

"Now all we have to do is wait," Christa whispered.

"We won't be waiting long," I moaned as the third and final pain-wave crashed into my brain, but this time it brought along visions with it.

Visions of smoke that clouded any recognizable thing, of blood staining the grass like dew and tree trunks like dirt, of the cries from both side fighting (some cries for help and others for anger), and in the air lingered the smell of a familiar… vampire.

The vision made me shudder violently and it caught worried glances from my fellow friends. I gave them a little smile and they turned away except Christa who kept looking at me. Then an idea popped into my head.

_Did you know I could do this? _I mentally transmitted to Christa with my little gift since I was holding her hand. I was actually surprised when she nodded her head yes.

Instead of asking her why I decided to mentally transmit my vision to her. Before I could get her reaction, our guest had arrived.

"I hope we didn't keep you waiting long," Victor said as he sauntered in from the trees. His comment would go great with a smile if he weren't frowning at the fact that his ambush plan had failed. Tailing behind him were his two remaining minions, Dominic and Tom, who carrying between them a tied up and struggling Sage.

Victor hadn't changed at all since the day I met him; he was still wearing his demented medieval armor like it was the most normal thing in the world. His minions, however, didn't change at all except they were wearing medieval chain armor around their torsos.

I looked at Sage again, she showed no signs of being abused but she didn't look thrilled to see us again. She had rope wrapped around her from waist to shoulder like how Christa tied up Jericho.

"Crista! Ellie! Nessie! Run! He's going to attack you! I'm not worth it, run!" Sage screamed at us.

"I suppose we have a trade to carry out," Victor said business-like and ignoring Sage's screaming.

"RUN!" Sage screamed out and this time Dominic came around and socked her in the stomach, causing her the keel over and moan in pain.

"We want our friend back undamaged," Christa demanded at Victor.

"I know and we want the same. Have they done anything to hurt you, Jericho?"

"No," Jericho replied honestly.

Victor frowned for a second but then returned to his regular half-crazed smile and said, "So I'm trading Sage for Jericho and the orb."

"You didn't saying anything about the orb in your note," Christa accused.

"Well Sage has been a bit of a handful and I feel that I need a bigger incentive to give her back." Before anyone could say anything else, I stepped in.

"What about me and Jericho," I said then stepped out of Christa's grasp.

"You?" Jericho questioned.

"Yes I'm Christa's witch apprentice and a very strong one at that. I'd be happy to serve you," I said then put on a fake smile.

"Nessie," Christa hissed.

"Just attack them when I give you the cue," I whispered into her ear.

"All right," Victor said, "Come forth then."

Me and Jericho stepped from the line at the same tied that Sage stepped from the enemy's line. Every second I was getting closer to the midpoint where we would all meet.

It was a tedious five seconds but then finally Sage finally passed by me and I grabbed her by the shoulder and we both retreated to Christa's line.

"Go!" I screamed.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Good News: There will be another chapter plus an epilogue that might last two chapters.<strong>

**Bad News: I'm not putting up the next chapter next week but the week after that. Why? Because I've written six chapters so far without ONE REVIEW! Call me selfish but I'm punishing you UNLESS I get four reviews before next Monday, then I will publish it next week.**

**And no negative comments or it's changing to three weeks!**


	18. The Storm, Part I

Chapter 18: The Storm, Part I

"Go!" I screamed. Thankfully Christa realized that that was her cue to attack and the battle erupted. In less than five seconds, fire and sparks were whooshing past me like bullets and a cloud of purple smoke was forming around us all. I worried that the smoke would grow large enough to asphyxiate me and any living thing around.

I was still clutching Sage by her shoulder while she was squirming. When she was too busy looking wildly around at the commotion I took the opportunity to use my razor-sharp nails to cut through the rope from her shoulders to her waist. It wasn't till fifteen seconds after that did Sage finally realize she was free.

She was about to run off when I grabbed her by the shoulder. "Wait," I said.

"What?" She asked frantically.

"Where's Jericho?" I asked noticing he had disappeared in the past minute.

"It doesn't matter," Sage yelled over the racket, "Lets get to Ellie and Christa."

I was about to protest until I realized that I created a war zone and this was no good time to do anything but fight or hide. Sage tugged on my arm that was clutching my shoulder and carefully glided me through masses of smoke and cannonballs of magic. I could barely see the outline of my aunt and the elf through the thick materials in the air, especially the smoke clouds that started to look like smoke fog.

Sage had finally dragged me and until we were standing in between Christa and Ellie. There was no hand-to-hand combat yet but simply throwing different kinds spells and fires at the opposing line. We were basically just shooting at each other right now.

I felt something grab onto my other hand with great strength. I looked up frightened until I realized it was just Crista.

"Don't let go of my hand Nessie," Christa said urgently and gave the hand she was holding a squeeze while the other hand was throwing vials of potions mixed with flames.

"I won't," I replied.

But it was so hard. I kept flinching and dodging away from anything that came at us. I couple things cut me, but it was only minor scratches that would heal in a couple of minutes. If only we could defeat them in a couple of minutes.

The firing stopped and they started to charge towards us with battle cries. I knew what was going to happen. Ellie and Sage would take on Tom and Dominic while Christa and I took on Victor. I knew it was the game plan all along, that the bishops and the crooks would fight each other while the queen and her pawn would fight off the king.

For once my mind was rusty on a topic: how did you play chess again? Has a king ever been defeated by anything as lowly as a pawn? A queen could surely kill a king, but this was a different chessboard with more efficient players.

It was like long ago when my Aunt Alice and father were playing chess, it was always at a deadlock because of their unique powers, but of course in the end my dad's mind reading was quicker to guess her move then my aunt's visions so my dad always won.

In a game of chess where the rules are different and the pieces have better abilities, it doesn't matter what kind of moves you enemies can make, it matters if you are quick enough to checkmate them first. So maybe a ragtag team of a queen and her pawn apprentice could defeat the upgraded evil king.

My little chess comparison in my head seemed to last only a fraction of a second because when it ended the enemy line was still charging towards us. They towards us at impeccable speed but they also seemed slow. It was like time was slowing down just so it could prolong the anxiety and fear that was building and bashing around in my stomach like a horde of angry of butterflies and was burning my lungs with hot lava so I couldn't breathe right.

But of course time can't fully stop so I started to bite my lip and turn my head away when they were just a couple feet away from us and then-BOOM! An explosion erupted between us and the enemy that sent everyone flying in different directions. The force was strong enough tear my hand away from Christa's and send me flying for a couple of seconds before a crashed into a tree.

When I crashed, I fell seven feat from the tree and landed on my back. The initial hit of the tree and ground put me in a crippled position for a short time before my nerves were fully wired with pain and I was struggling to get up. Moving only made it worse and I tried to scream but nothing came out of my pained chest.

I thought I was dying; the pain only seemed to intensify the longer I was in it and even though I couldn't see or feel any blood on my skin it was like I was bleeding on the inside. I really hoped I wasn't internally bleeding and my mind and nerves were just overreacting.

The pain seemed to mainly focus on my back and torso where I was hit. I pressed my hand against my bones to see if any of them were broken but they seemed like they were fine-wait, unless that was a broken rib I felt there. Oh no…

I started to panic when I heard the sound of fire and magic being thrown around and the screams of those I hated and loved. I couldn't stay here and rot in pain, for if I did someone would surely find me and it might not be the person I like.

I took a couple of agonizing seconds just to move up into a sitting position where some of the pain went away after my new found determination and fear, but it still burned. I clutched the tree I crashed into and used it to help lift me up off the ground. I leaned onto it for support after I was standing and looked around slowly.

The sounds of battle maybe starting up again but they seemed distant. But not too distant, just far enough where I couldn't see them quite well through the thickness of other trees and night. I was smaller and lighter than the others so I was thrown the furthest.

But it didn't feel like I was alone.

"Well what do we have here?"

I was right.

I turned around and found that it was the enemy Tom who asked the rhetorical question. He was grinning at me like I was a fish that had walked straight into his bait. Perfect.

"You're a tricky little girl, you know that?" Tom said harshly. He strode over quickly and before I could react he picked me up by my neck. I started to scratch rapid fire at the hand holding my neck but he used his other big hand to catch my small wimpy ones. I would start kicking if only I didn't burn in the legs too.

"What to do…what to do," He pondered thoughtfully.

"You're stronger than we intended, but does that mean Victor will want to keep you more? Or does that convince him that you're too big of a threat to keep alive?" I kept my jaw clenched and refused to beg for mercy.

"Aren't you going to beg?" He asked. I intense my glare at him and contemplate for a second on whether to spit in his eye or not.

"Oh well," He said and I could feel both his hands start to heat up with a slow fire. He was going to burn me, alive.

"Um, that's my friend you're choking," Said a new voice. I recognized that voice but I didn't believe I actually heard it. What was she doing here? How did she even know I was here? When did she get here?

What was she going to do to Tom?

"Who in hell are you?" Tom asked as he turned around to face Natalia.

"I said you're choking my friend," Natalia said a little too sweetly this time, "I'd appreciate if you put her down."

"And what are you going to do about it?" He obviously never met a vampire before.

"Bad answer," Natalia said and shook her head and made a _tsk, tsk, tsk _sound. She was already a couple feet from him and took a few steps toward him until she was just centimeters in front of him. Then mimicking Tom, she grasped Tom's neck and started to choke him.

Vampires were much stronger so actual choking noises emitted from Tom's lips and I thought I saw his face turn a bit blue. He dropped me onto the ground and used both his hands to claw away at Natalia. It wasn't till flames produced from his palm did Natalia let go and jump away.

Tom dropped to the ground and sucked in and huffed out large breaths of air. Everyone stayed like that for a minute; me scrambled on the ground, Tom breathing erratically a couple feet from me, and Natalia perched on the ground and ready to attack and defend on a moment's notice. I actually felt a bit grateful for Natalia's presence for the first time ever; I might be dead without her.

Once Tom's breathing returned to normal he got up again. "Is that the best you can do?" He yelled at her.

Natalia hissed.

"I'm a wizard!" He exclaimed proudly and for emphasis he sent little sparkles out of his hand. He moved closer to Natalia, not even caring she almost killed him a moment ago. The two were staring face to face with and were prepared to see who make the first attack while I sat a few feet away. The moon came out and shined us with its light and made Natalia's blood red eyes and strange pallor visible to Tom.

"What are you?" He asked.

"We are more powerful than you," Natalia said and gestured her hand to me as well.

"We?" Tom asked and turned around to look at me. He tried examining what I had in common with Natalia, but he didn't understand. I also didn't understand how Natalia new what I was. I sort of felt bad for Tom. He still seemed young, maybe fifteen. Maybe he wasn't always so violent and cruel, maybe Victor made him like that, and maybe he was actually a nice boy.

But he shouldn't have turned around.

Because just a few seconds after he did Natalia attacked.

Natalia didn't try to choke him this time, he went right for the kill and sunk her teeth into Tom's neck. Tom screamed before he even knew what was happening. I thought I saw him trying to say a spell but no coherent words came out of his throat that was practically being severed in half as Natalia drank.

He screamed until he could scream no more, fought until he could fight no more, cried until he could cry no more, and struggled to get air until he could no longer breathe. Until he was dead. Natalia unlatched her teeth from his neck when she was satisfied with her kill and Tom fell to the ground with a horrible thump.

So maybe Tom might have tried to kill her, but he was just kid! He only did those bad things because Victor told him to, he had no free will. Did he have parents? Would anyone miss him? I thought he was a powerful wizard, so why would he play dead?

Natalia came over to me next and for a second I thought she was going to eat me as well. She stopped and kneeled down next to me. She grabbed my hand and took off the ruby ring that had been there all this time.

"I'll be taking this back, thank you," Natalia said and shoved the ruby ring into the pocket of her bloodstained, white skirt. Natalia then stood up and walked away like nothing had happened.

But I knew it had happened.

Because Tom's vacant, cold eyes were staring me in the face.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: So I purposely made this chapter shorter than usual because I'm VERY upset about the lack of reviews I got. I got only one from <strong>**Ashlynarosablack ****(thank you for reviewing and I'm glad you love the story, I don't think many people do). Also thank you to everyone who previously reviewed and I hope you all will be nicer next week.**

**-J.J.**


	19. The Storm, Part II

**The Storm, Part II**

_Renesmee_

It seemed like I had sat there in the dewy grass on this cold night for the longest time. _For a lifetime_, I mentally corrected, _a lifetime Tom never had._

I didn't understand why I felt so guilty over Tom's death but I did. I mean he tried to kill me. But maybe because Victor told-no, threatened him to do so. But then again Jericho didn't try to kill us so maybe Tom didn't have an excuse. But where was Jericho now?

Maybe I felt so guilty because Tom's death reminded me of Irina's. Irina I'm pretty sure was a good vampire _and she was technically family_, she just had a misunderstanding. But she still wanted, not just me, but my entire family dead. But then again she didn't seem to want us dead after she found out she was wrong.

Tears streamed down my face-both from sadness and confusion. Whatever pain I felt in my ribs and legs seemed vanish with the overwhelming shock. I heard the main battle continue elsewhere but I couldn't bring myself to understand. I rubbed Tom's cold cheek thoughtfully, which only made me cry harder and think that maybe he was a peaceful boy at one point.

"I'm so sorry," I confessed to Tom's empty body fully aware that nobody was actually listening. I took two fingers and gently closed his eyes, the eyes that revealed the pain he went through before he died. I closed his wide jaw that before elicited screams of terror. Hopefully, closing his jaw would keep the flies from flying into his decaying body.

I tried to pick his body up-even though I had no idea where I was going to put it-but that was a mistake. The minute I tried to lift his body, his body started to rapidly decay into grey dust. He started to turn into specs of sand starting from the chest where his heart was and then spread further down towards his legs and arms and saving his head and face for last. Not even a skeleton was left, just a giant pile of gray sand that made me think it was dust in a grain form. The pile formed the shape of Tom's body; it was the only way you could tell it was once Tom. But the shape was immediately ruined when the wind came along and spread out the grains through out the forest. Now there was no trace of Tom.

"What…?" I said to myself confused. It was then that I noticed someone screaming not far from me. They were screaming my name.

"NESSIE!NESSIE!" Someone shouted. "NNNEEEEESSSSSSSSIIIEEE!"

"Yes?" I said loud enough for the person to hear. I didn't even stop to think that maybe it was an enemy.

"RENESMEE?"

"Yes?"

"ARE YOU OKAY?"

"Yes?..."

Just then Sage came bashing into me and knocked both of us over onto the forest ground. Sage was hugging onto to me tightly while I tried to squirm out of her grasp.

"Sage get off of me!"

"Oh, Nessie," Sage blubbered, "I was so worried. The explosion happened and everyone went flying backwards but we couldn't find you or Tom. Oh Nessie, Christa needs you! We also have to get out of here before Tom shows up. Where is Tom anyway?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat, "Forget Tom. What about Christa needing me?"

"Oh follow me." Sage sprang up and pulled me up off of the ground. Without any other words, she tugged me through the woods in a hustle but careful enough not to bump into any trees.

"Where are we going?" I asked while dodging some of the tree branches.

"Back to where everyone else is!"

"Huh?"

It wasn't much longer till me and Sage crashed into the meadow where the battle had started before. The hand-to-hand melee had finally started with Christa fighting Victor in the center of the meadow and Ellie fighting Dominic over towards the south edge of the meadow and more into the woods.

Sage grabbed me by the shoulder and looked me dead in the eye.

"Okay listen Nessie, you stay here and you don't move a muscle. I'm going to go help Ellie finish Dominic and then back to you, okay? Good." Sage then turned away and started to run towards Ellie shouting, "DON'T WORRY ELLIE! I'M COMINING!"

I watched for a couple of minutes as Sage and Ellie dominated over Dominic who was just barely fending them off. Sage and Ellie fought swiftly yet with precise movements that I didn't think they were capable of while Dominic fought like how I imagined a newborn vampire from Jasper's stories would, feral and like an amateur. You could tell that battle was only going to last a couple more minutes.

A large flare from the other battle caught my eye. I noticed that Victor had shoved Christa face first into the ground. Christa coughed up grass as she struggled to get up she didn't even notice that Victor was preparing to hit her with an explosive fireball growing in the palm of his hands.

"CHRISTA WATCH OUT!" I shouted. Christa looked up and stared wide-eyed at me for a second before she turned around in time to notice Victor poised with the fireball. She rolled over on the grass towards me and successfully dodged Victor's fireball.

"Nessie," she said, "Stay back."

"No," I said for some reason and jogged ten feet to where Christa was, both ignoring Christa and Sage's wishes.

Christa tugged helplessly on my hand. "Nessie forget about what I said. Run, go home, and tell you mother I love her."

"I'm not leaving you here to die," I pleaded. I squeezed her hand while a second stream of years poured down my already blood-shot eyes.

Victor was charging towards us and so I helped lift Christa off of the ground and motioned for her hit him with some spell. She pulled a vial out of her sash and threw it at Victor where it caused a mini explosion as it hit him and sent him flying just a couple feet backwards and made him land on his butt. But he didn't stop one bit. He grumbled then pushed himself back up and continued his charge at us.

A new fireball grew in his palms, but this fire was sickly green and not a casual shade of red like most fires. A furious look in his eyes told me that he meant no mercy.

"That green fire in his hands isn't a good thing, is it?" I asked.

"Nope," Christa said, almost casual despite the new tension. Victor pulled back his arm like he was going to pitch the fireball at us. I moved my arms to cover my face while Christa looked frantically in her sash for something to protect us.

"Nessie, duck!" Christa screamed at me, which I gladly obliged to. I looked up from my covered laying position to see Christa mumbling something-probably a spell-under her breath while having her hands cupped and outstretched in front of her.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Improvising," Christa said.

A purple glow started to form in Christa's hands and she pulled back her arm to throw the glow in her hand but Victor yelled out something in Latin and the glow vanished.

"So much for that," Christa mumbled.

Christa was moving her hands again to prepare for another spell but it's too late. Victor pitches the green flame in his hand that is aimed at Christa and quickly flying towards her. I was about to jump in front of Christa just like I had when Victor first attacked her, but someone jumped in front of Christa before I could.

"It's not very polite to hit women with poisonous fireballs you know that Victor?" Jericho asked rhetorically. In a matter of milliseconds, Jericho had appeared out of nowhere and in front of Christa. He caught the green fireball that was about to hit her with his bare hand. He then took the fireball and threw it at an unsuspecting Victor that sent him flying twenty feet back and landing with a painful thump.

"Ouch," I whispered to myself quietly.

"Thanks," Christa muttered to Jericho, "But where the hell of you been?"

"Lets talk about that later," Jericho said.

"You despicable traitor," Victor grumbled harshly as he got up, "We had a deal. You were supposed to stay loyal to me and me only."

"I changed my mind," Jericho said nonchalantly.

"You're going to wish you didn't," Victor threatened then hurled a regular fireball at Jericho. Jericho didn't see it coming and the blast sent him flying a few feet backwards.

"Now that he's been taken care of," Victor said while a new green fireball started to appear in his hand but this time it was much bigger, "I can resume where I was before." Victor didn't waste any time trying to get close, he threw the fireball straight at Christa again with every attention to kill as she watched helplessly.

"NO!" I screamed and jumped in front of Christa with my arms outstretched to protect her. Then the most miraculous and impossible thing happened.

Just as the fireball was a few inches from me, some invisible wall in front of me seemed to block it and the huge fire cracked slowly and shattered as if it was made out of glass. As it shattered it produced little sparks that flew above Christa and me and harmlessly fell on our skin and disappeared while leaving not a single scratch us.

"What…?"

"NO!" Victor roared, "How is that possible?"

Just as Victor went into a fit, Jericho came up from behind and stood next to me and Christa, as well as Sage and Ellie whom I'm guessing already finished off Dominic.

"Okay guys," Christa, "No mercy, we need to use the death spell."

Everyone nodded solemnly. All together they muttered, "Nous donner mort."

I could tell that the spell was said in some foreign language but it didn't sound like the language they used to say their spells (which I thought was Hebrew, or Latin, or something).

Next a little baseball-sized, purple orb appeared in the hands of Christa, Sage, and Jericho but not Ellie considering she was an elf and this was a witch's spell.

"Ellie, stun him," Christa softly commanded. Ellie said no words, an orange gas-like ball appeared in her hand and she threw it at Victor that instantly paralyzed him.

"On the count of three guys," Christa whispered.

"One."

They pulled back their arms.

"Two."

They focused their aim on Victor.

"Three."

They shot their little purple orbs at Victor.

An ear-deafening scream could be heard from Victor as the purple orbs crashed into him and started to melt into him. Suddenly his shouts got louder as the orbs disappeared into him and his chest started to turn to the dust-colored sand that Tom had turned into. His body slowly started to fade into sand and he fell to the ground when he no longer had legs. He screamed until his head and face started to vanish and in just a couple of seconds Victor Gates was no more.

It was silent after that. The same silence that had come five years ago when the Volturi left my family and our witnesses in the meadow in peace had come again in the moment after Victor died.

And then the cheers erupted.

They weren't as loud as they were five years ago but they were loud enough to signal a new celebration. On my left Ellie cried a tear of happiness and picked up Sage and gave her an agonizing tight hug while Sage gave little victory whoops. On my right Christa and was giving Jericho a thankful pat on the back while Jericho kissed her the cheek leaving her with a furiously bright blush.

"Wait," I said out loud, "What just happened?"

"Um…we killed Victor," Sage said confused.

"I mean how id you do that?"

"With a death spell."

"But you didn't say it in the language you usually use to say spells."

"Oh that's because all of our spells are in different languages," Christa included, "It was supposed to keep the humans from figuring out how to use spells long ago when humans believed we existed. The death spell is 'Nous donner mort' which is French for 'give us death'. 'Kay?"

"Oh, so Victor is completely dead?"

"Victor is dead."

"Yah we won!" Sage whooped.

"And you guys killed Dominic, right?" Christa asked. Ellie and Sage immediately stopped their hooray-ing and gave Christa a guilty look.

"You didn't kill him," Christa said disappointed.

"Well we weren't sure what to do with him," Sage began.

"…So we knocked him unconscious," Ellie finished. Ellie then pointed to a body lying still in the grass twelve feet from us.

"Great," Christa said sarcastically.

"Don't worry he won't be that big of a problem," Jericho said.

"Hey look the sun's coming up," Ellie said and pointed to the eastern horizon that was faintly glowing with the rising sun. For once, there wasn't a cloud in the sky to block the sun's beautiful rays.

"Okay guys lets go home," Christa said softly.

"Okay," And then it hit me, "Oh my gosh, home!"

Christa gasped with me, "Oh, no…"

"See you later guys!" I chirped frantically and ran in the direction of my own home.

The sun was just rising so nobody would go into my room to see if I was awake, right? Man why couldn't I run faster!

Thankfully Christa had located her house maybe a bit over a mile from mine; her house was on the outskirts of town like mine and was even closer to my parents' cottage where I slept.

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><p>Before I knew it I was breathlessly staring at the back of my parents' cottage with enough glee to start a new world peace movement. I found an uprooted tree trunk and leaned it against my bedroom's window. I climbed up the tree trunk and soundlessly opened my window. I climbed into the window and shut it behind me and then went into my bed to get whatever sleep I could before somebody came to wake me up.<p>

Then a light flickered on.

I turned around and found both a handful of my family members and friends from the wolf pack glaring at me from all corners of the room.

My mother especially.

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen, you have A LOT of explaining to do."

"Ah, crud…"

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><p><strong>Author's Note: So…there will be an epilogue and I am planning to write a sequel to this story a month or so after this one is finished so keep an eye out! If there are any grammar mistakes that bother you please point them out and please, please, PLEASE, RRRREEEEEVVVIIIEEEWWWWW!<strong>


	20. Epilogue: A Special Occasion

**WWWAAAAIIITTT! Before you read, there's a bit of a misunderstanding for some of my readers out there. This is NOT the end of my story. I will make a sequel to this story that I will hopefully publish by the beginning of this summer. Go to the author's note to see more details when you're done reading.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Epilogue: A Special Occasion <span>**

_Renesmee_

Charlie's house has not changed a speck since the day I was born. A small two-bedroomed house with faded blue walls and a slightly dirty, brown brick roof with few windows and only two doors that led inside.

The only thing that was different today was the yellow Welcome Back! balloons that were attached to the rocks and trees on the property and the spotless look to the interior of the house.

Charlie was holding a little party to celebrate the bravery of and welcome back the three police officers who had been shot and stabbed by the mysterious criminals *cough* Victor *cough*. It was a nice favor but Charlie wasn't one for parties so I had a feeling that Sue with a little help from Alice made him have the party at his house.

The party would consist of Charlie, the three police officers, other police officers and their families, Jacob's pack, me and my family (excluding Esme, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett because of their "camping" trip), and Christa with Ellie and Sage. How we were all going to fit in Charlie's house was beyond me. But even so I was exciting for the party.

It would be the first time I was let out of the house since my parents grounded me.

* * *

><p>A couple days earlier…<p>

"Mom I can explain," I said as an impulse reaction to my mother's furious face.

"You can?" Aunt Rosie, from the other corner of the room, spoke up and said.

"Yes, you see-"

"Why is there blood on your shirt?" My mother asked frantically, "…and why are you covered in dust?" My mother than tried to wipe me off with the blanket on my bed.

"Okay so-"

"For heaven's sake," Aunt Rosie erupted, "We went looking for you for _six hours_! Do you have any idea how worried we were! Where were you?"

"I know and I can explain-"

"This is unacceptable," Esme said from her position on my rocky chair. Even her voice leaked with harshness.

"Were you hunting?" My mother asked.

"Yes-"

"That's a lie! Nessie doesn't take this long to hunt and isn't this dirty when she hunts! And she would never on her life leave without telling us?" Rosalie screeched, I was pretty sure she was breathing fire at this point.

"Well I-"

"Did you fall down a tree Renesmee? Look at yourself! Did you break a bone? Your leg has a giant gash on it!" My mother fretted. In the intense moment I wished her and Esme and Rosie were normal vampires that drank regular blood so that I could run away from this awful scene.

I couldn't get a syllable out without someone firing a question at me. Eventually they were all simultaneously shooting questions at me until their words blended into incoherent shouts. With Esme, Rosie, and my mother on my right side and Jasper, Embry, and Seth on my left side, I took turns looking back and forth between them.

The shouts broke from a new voice entering the room.

"I know where she was," Leah said.

All heads swerved to where Leah was casually leaning in the doorway.

"You do?" The wolves and the vampires asked.

"You do?" I asked nonchalantly but anxiousness was bubbling inside of me.

"Well…," Leah started, "I figure Nessie ran off to go hunting for that vampire that has been attacking the police," Leah pauses so everyone can gasp, including myself, and then continues, "Nessie has been at Christa's house everyday for such an extensive time without us checking up on her, well she could have taken advantage of that. I think that whenever Nessie was dropped off at Christa's house was when Christa wasn't home, so after she was dropped off she would sneak off into the woods to hunt the bloodsucker. Now she tried hunting the bloodsucker in the night and I guess she found her. Is that right Ness?"

All heads swerved to me then.

"That," I said, "…is all true."

* * *

><p>Unfortunately, pretending to be a hero doesn't save you from parental punishment.<p>

When everyone else came home, which included a worried-sick father and a heartbroken best friend, I was greeted by more harsh and frantic stares that softened only by a little fraction when they heard the supposed reason I was gone. I was grounded till the end of time, which was later translated to I will be grounded for an entire month.

I've stayed locked in my cottage home in the middle of the woods for three days so far with Jacob as my warden when my parents weren't home. Jacob wasn't supposed to give me attention, but sometimes Jacob would give in and play a board game with me or would talk to me whenever I begged at his feet with tears running down my face for ten long minutes.

Aunt Rosie and Grandma Esme also broke the rules by calling me obsessively to see if I was all right or if I needed them to bring over food or etc. Aunt Rosie called more often though (sometimes she would call and ask if I was enjoying my punishment and I would reply very much).

They were the only three that gave me company when my parents were busy, but sometimes I wonder if Uncle Emmett is the one throwing paper airplanes into my bedroom.

To prove Leah's story about me was true, Christa feigned having a job at an Apple Store two towns over and after the night I ran away nobody could find a trace of the vampire anywhere. Natalia must really be gone. Though only Leah was upset the vampire was gone because she couldn't get her vengeance. Sometimes I heard Leah grumble outside with Jacob about "not giving that damn bloodsucker a piece of my mind." I sometimes contemplated about going outside and grumbling with Leah about Natalia not getting what she deserved.

Carlisle had wrapped my wounds. Apparently I had broken two ribs and had a deep gash on the lower thigh of my right leg that would all hopefully heel in a bout one to two weeks. It may heal faster if I didn't pace around the cottage so much.

Charlie's party was the one exception to which I would be allowed outside the house and I was very thankful when I found out that I could breathe oxygen outside my home prison. We took Carlisle's black Mercedes with Carlisle driving, Alice in the passenger seat, and my mom and dad in the back seat with me squished between them. My mom and dad were both holding one of my hands and had their heads facing out the window; they weren't even bothering to look at me.

"I'm sorry," I said to them with my "gift". I said sorry whenever I felt guilty about running away. My parents both looked down at me and my mom caressed my cheek with her thumb with her palm under my chin and my dad rubbed my hair with his hand. It was there way of saying that everything is fine now.

Even as we arrived at Charlie's house, they continued to hold my hand. Charlie greeted us at the door with Sue-whom I thought I saw having a peculiar ring on her ring finger. The house was already filled with police officers and their random human family members so my parents and family quickly dispersed to socialize. I was left alone to watch the football game alone on the couch.

But I wasn't alone for long.

"Hey." Jacob had walked over from the kitchen and has now thankfully come to save me from boredom.

"Hello."

"Where are Bells and the rest?" Jacob fell down on the couch next to me with a heavy thump that scared the person at the other end of the couch.

"They're mingling with the other guests," I responded as Jacob pushed me onto his lap

"And how come you're not?"

I shrugged.

"You aren't mad that I ran away, are you?" I asked when I realized I was still expecting Jacob to yell at me.

"Nessie," Jacob sighed, "Don't ever do that to me again. I had seen what that leech did to Leah. I was so scared that you died. I couldn't forgive myself if you died. I couldn't live with myself if you died. I couldn't lead my pack if you died. I couldn't-"

"Jacob, calm down, you're rambling," I interrupted.

"Sorry Ness, I love you." Jacob gave me a tight squeeze from the back.

"I love you too, my crazy uncle, and godfather, and best friend Jacob." I heard Jacob chuckle lightly from behind.

"Who said I was crazy?" He asked.

"Well you certainly aren't normal."

"Fair enough." Jacob gave another chuckle and I noticed he was fiddling with something in his hands.

"What's that?" I asked and pointed to Jacob's hand.

"Seth's car keys; the klutz dropped them on the floor." Jacob dangled the keys in front of my face.

"Where is he?"

"With one of Christa's friends, Sage I think. They're out in the backyard."

"I'll give him the keys," I said before snatching the keys out of Jacob's hand and skipping away.

"Oh I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jacob cautioned as I moved away from him.

I shot Jake a bemused look but he just kept grinning at me. I turned around and started to push through the crowd of people in the congested rooms until I finally reached the back door. I turned the doorknob and went outside.

When I was outside, it was like I was suddenly watching a romance movie from the 60's. The sun was breaking through the clouds (the sun seemed to be shining a lot lately) and giving light on the scene and it suddenly seemed warm even though it was the dead of winter.

The girl had her arms wrapped around the boy and he had his arms wrapped around the girl's waist while they gave each other a small, passionate kiss. The little teenage romance occurring right now might have seemed cute to anyone else, but these were no normal people.

There was a witch and a werewolf kissing right before my eyes.

I stood there dumbstruck for what seemed like an eternity before the girl looked up and noticed my presence and breaking roughly out of the kiss.

"Hey Nessie." I could see a heavy blush start to paint her cheeks while the boy swerved his head around to look at me.

"Hey…Sage…and Seth," I said softly.

Me, Seth, and Sage stood awkwardly for a couple minutes, with Sage still in Seth's arms until one of us broke the silence.

"Hey Ness-"

"Here's your car keys," I said frantically and cutting off whatever Seth was about to say. I chucked Seth's car keys at him and ran back inside and slammed the backdoor shut. I turned to find Jacob laughing against the wall.

"You knew," I hissed.

"Maybe," Jacob replied, "I warned you remember?"

I rolled my eyes. "You should have told me they were kissing."

"I actually didn't know. They had their first date just before they came here. Who knew Seth was good with girls."

"I didn't even realize they knew each other."

"I'll tell you more about it when you're older but lets just say that Seth's had a crush on her ever since he first laid eyes on her. We can't get Seth to shut up as it is, then he went and impr-_fell in love_ with Sage."

I looked out the window to find Seth and Sage still in the freezing weather (well really only Sage would be cold). Seth was chatting animatedly with Sage giggling at what he said. Every now and then Seth would push a stray hair strand behind one of Sage's ears and she would blush heavily and it would bring a new gleam to Seth's eyes that I had never seen before. They were completely oblivious to me and Jake closely watching (stalking) them.

"Now all he has to do is tell her he's a werewolf," Jake whispered so none of the guests could hear.

"Thanks for ruining the moment," I said but I was silently adding _She has to tell him she's a witch too_.

"You know that's going to be you one day; all lovey dovey with some boy."

"Eeeeewwww."

"Oh what? Do you still think boys have cooties?"

"You love harassing my niece," Said a new voice. I turned around to find Christa leaning against the wall while smirking at Jacob and me.

"I take pride in whatever I do," Jake said with his signature smile. Suddenly Jacob's phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out before it's ringing ended.

"Hold on guys Leah wants me in the kitchen," Jake grumbled, "She's so lazy she's got to text me even if we're in the same house." Jake then headed over to the kitchen, which left Christa and me lone to talk.

"Haven't seen you around, Ness," Christa said.

"I got grounded."

"I know I'm sorry." I looked up.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Because I got you into this mess, Nessie. I lied, you see, I could have erased your mind from remembering what happened the night you first met Victor and you could have continued your normal-or at least normal for you-life. But I was selfish; I wanted you to know what I was. I had spent five years in that cabin alone with no other witch and nobody to tell who I was and I was about a week away from running back to Lucille. But then you came and I had someone to tell my secret to and someone who could truly understand me, but it wasn't fair to put that responsibility on you and make you help deal with my issues. I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize. I don't care what you are and my dad doesn't read my mind anymore so it doesn't matter. It isn't selfish to me and I rather you here then back with Lucille and Tiffany. Besides I met Sage, and Ellie, and Jericho, and…what did you do with Dominic?"

Christa rubbed her neck shyly, "Well Jericho is keeping watch at him at home and we're thinking of just keeping him if he can cooperate with us."

"Are you sure?"

"Well nobody wants to have the death of a young wizard on their hands so we'll have to make do." I looked back out the window to Sage and Seth who were now running around the yard like hyper children.

"And what about them." I cocked my head in the direction outside the window.

"That's going to be a bit of an issue, but we can work it out," Christa replied.

"Are you hoping they break up?" I asked and became shocked by the deathly serious look on my aunt's face.

"Lets just say that Seth and Sage are strongly…connected. It would very, very,_ very _hard to separate them now."

"But-"

"But don't worry, things will turn out just fine. We have other things to think about."

I huffed a sigh. "Well there has been something on my mind."

"What?"

"Remember in the battlefield when Victor was about to hit us with that poisonous fireball and it shattered to pieces before it could even touch us? How did that happen?"

"That was actually your doing Nessie."

I raised two incredulous eyebrows and stared Christa dead in the eye. "I did that?"

Christa smirked. "Do remember long ago when I was teaching you to be a witch apprentice?" Christa asked, "I said every witch apprentice will get a physical shield they use to protect themselves and the witches they serve. The shield appears when in battle. But beginner apprentices like you have weak shields that can only protect people from things like steam and dirt. Your shield could protect you and me from a powerful spell from a demonic warlock and you've only been an apprentice for little over a month!"

"Well I don't know how I did that…," I said with a small blush.

"I think good shields just run in the family if you know what I mean." Christa nudged me in the shoulder with her elbow and gave a smug smile.

"It's too bad that Victor is dead though," I said.

"Why is that?"

"Don't you remember? You said that I could only be a temporary apprentice and that I couldn't be your apprentice after Victor was gone."

Christa put her hand on my shoulder, "I think you deserve an extension. I wouldn't mind having you as my apprentice for a bit longer, do you mind?"

I smiled smugly at her. "Not at all."

I shook Christa's hand with my tattooed palm and we skipped back into the party…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Okay so maybe it is a cheesy ending but don't judge me! Anyway I would like to thank my reviewers Browniangel, Bookwormwrighter, Ashlynarosablack, alecvolturiswife, anon, Vicky, cinni, and alexr. You people are AMAZING! Especially Ashlynarosablack and Browniangel. I wish I could bake you all cookies and red velvet cupcakes, and thank you all my readers, I give cyberhugs. <strong>

**Anyway about the sequel, I'm hoping to publish it before the end of June while I get together my ideas and start writing. I also have to go scavenging for a new beta (if you know of any good ones I will love you forever). I'm probably changing the update day to Friday instead of Monday because nobody really likes Mondays anyway (sorry forever alone Monday). I will publish the date of when my sequel will begin on this story as a new chapter so LOOK OUT!**

**-With hugs and cookies and cupcakes and all things wonderful,**

**J.J.**


	21. SEQUAL ALERT

Bonjour! Sorry for the anticipation but I've finally got a release date for my sequel that unfortunately is not going to be in June cause I'm going on vacation and I most likely won't have any internet or cellphone service! AAAHHHHH!

Anyway, thank you all those who stuck by my side and are still reading this story. INTERNET HUGS FOR ALL! And I'll warn you that in the next story there's going to be a bit more romance than in the first book so I'm sorry if you don't like romance (But then again if you don't like romance why did you read Twilight?), but don't worry there's still going to be a lot of mystery, adventure, and shockers around every corner.

This story will focus a bit more on Nessie's vampire family and werewolf friends but don't worry I'm not abandoning the characters I introduced like Christa, Sage, and Ellie and I will also include one or more new characters.

Disclaimer: I don't know why I'm putting this but I DON'T OWN TWILIGHT (If I did the story would obviously be much more different).

So with out further ado (and no I didn't spell that wrong its ado not adieu) I present to you:

**The Nessie Ventures, Book 2:The Werewolf's Imprint**

**Coming July 6****th**

**Only on Fanfiction**


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